


PineCliff: A Wayhaught Story

by Coppensm, shoushai



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Coffeeshop Owner Waverly, F/F, Firefighter Nicole, Innkeeper Nicole, Mysterious Wynonna, Researcher Waverly, Sexual Content, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:14:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 53,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27370285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coppensm/pseuds/Coppensm, https://archiveofourown.org/users/shoushai/pseuds/shoushai
Summary: Nicole Haught moves to PineCliff for a fresh start. Waverly Earp is shackled to the town by unforeseen circumstances in her life. These two beautiful souls collide and sparks fly.Take a trip to PineCliff were a series of mysterious fires force our heroines to work through their pasts to secure their futures before there is nothing left.
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 88
Kudos: 180





	1. Kindling

Nicole

It was nearing midnight when the pickup truck rolled through town. The deserted streets were awash in the glow of old fashioned street lights. The expansive property located at 16 Chestnut Street was quiet and dark at this hour as the vehicle pulled into the drive, illuminating a lengthy porch decorated with pumpkins and a scarecrow near the sidewalk. The exhausted woman behind the wheel parked next to a nondescript building adjacent to the main house. She dragged her rangy but toned body out of the truck and gathered her belongings as she trudged through the freshly fallen leaves to the back door. 

Once inside she hung up her coat and kicked off her boots so as not to track dirt any further in, then followed the dim light of a dying fire into a small room. A frown briefly creased her face as a chill coursed through her body. She was expected hours ago, but had been delayed by an accident on the TCH. Now in unfamiliar surroundings she searched for more firewood and a damn light switch. Using her IPhone as a flashlight, she located a stack of wood next to the back entrance presumably for both the fireplace and wood burning stove that served as the source of heat for the small home. A little bundle of kindling secured in her arms, the woman went back to the fireplace and stoked the embers before feeding the diminishing fire. Once it caught she added a couple of logs and retired to the washroom to get ready for bed.

The weary woman locked the back door before climbing into the bed on the opposite side of the room from the now roaring fire. She glanced at her watch and noted the time. A quick smile formed at the edge of her lips. Nicole Haught was now the proud owner of The Inn at PineCliff. With a sense of awe, the woman closed her eyes as she pictured the adventures that awaited her on this new journey. Soon she was fast asleep, the light of the fire casting beautiful shadows on her delicate face.

Waverly 

First light was arguably Waverly’s favorite time of the day. She stretched her limbs as the sleepy sensation left her body. She could feel the night’s tensions ease away. The nightmares came to her at the darkest part of the night. 

The birds were beginning to chirp at the first hint of daylight that broke over the distant horizon. From her vantage point, she could see over the tops of the adjacent buildings and the leaves on the trees to Pine Lake. She wouldn’t change the view for anything. Besides the sprawling mansions that edged around the lake, her apartment had been built slightly taller than the surrounding houses that lined Pioneer Street. Below her cozy apartment was Stagecoach Coffee, where she would find herself soon to begin her day’s work. 

As she climbed out from beneath the warm flannel sheets, her oversized Rush T-shirt slipped off one shoulder. She padded across the fluffy area rug and out to the kitchen to her most beloved antique coffee press. It had been Gus’s and it made the most perfect cup of coffee Waverly had ever tasted. It warmed her from the inside as she stood at the large picture window that overlooked the street below. It was the heart of autumn and the leaves on the trees were vivid shades of orange and yellow and red. Waverly looked across the narrow street where the ivy grew on the historic red brick of the Tunnecliff Inn. 

Glancing at the clock on the stove, she knew she needed to get down into the cafe’s kitchen to begin making the day’s specialty baked goods. 

Nicole

Despite the late hour of her arrival, Nicole was up as the sun rose. Clad in warm running gear she stepped outside into the frigid air. After some quick stretching, she set out to explore the sleepy town. As she weaved up and down the streets of historic PineCliff, the soft crunching of her running shoes were the only sounds of life at this early hour. There was a slight pang in her heart as she passed by the fire department, a reminder of the life she left behind. The memory pushed her harder as she blazed past the fall scenery lending charm to her new small town.

She ran by a farmer’s museum and an art museum before she decided to head back towards civilization. She ran past her inn once again before making a left on Main Street. She was closing in on 3 miles when she made her next left. Pioneer Street was quaint, lined with beautiful brick buildings on each side. Nicole slowed as her wrist vibrated, indicating she’d hit her goal. 

Catching her breath, she found herself outside a coffee shop. Glancing at the open sign, she knew she would need help to power through her busy day. Without further thought she reached for the handle and entered the little shop known as Stagecoach Coffee.

Waverly

There was just about every kind of bagel lining the wall behind the front counter. Waverly handed the last batch to Rachel, the poor soul Waverly had put on the schedule to work the 5:30 am shift. The young girl rounded the corner to put them in the wire racks along with the other flavors. Waverly was finishing the deserts that would sit in the glass display case on the counter, tempting patrons who were at the cash register. She prided herself on crafting the most beautiful vegan pastries and treats. Today’s menu featured butternut squash cheesecake, tahini almond cookies, and everyone’s favorite: peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars. Many customers came in special for those bars, whether they were vegan or not.  
They were that good. 

She didn’t ever intend on running a coffee shop, but life was funny that way. Waverly was lost in thought as she piped just the right amount of vanilla buttercream frosting on the individual slices of the butternut cheesecake for a touch of extra sweetness. What felt like yesterday was actually a year and a half ago when she was finishing her master’s in library sciences. Waverly had an intense passion for research and she always wanted to channel that into a career. With each desert she made, however, that dream faded into the background, but every so often it itched in the back of her mind, as it was doing now. 

Where would she have been if she had taken that internship at the Library and Archives, the Holy Grail in the field of research? Waverly scolded herself. It was no use thinking that way, as she was now the owner of a successful business. She would put her heart and soul into researching new and better ways of creating baked masterpieces. Waverly almost believed it and told herself it didn’t matter anymore. She put down her piping bag, wiped her hands on her apron and looked up to the wall where a single framed photograph hung. It was a young Waverly with her Aunt Gus on the farm just outside of town. Gus was kneeled down, arm around Waverly, and their smiles beamed even though the photo was slightly faded from age. 

A sad smile crossed her lips. Love you, Waverly murmured, as she did every morning. As much as it hurt her to give up her career, the death of her beloved aunt pained her infinitely more. Waverly gave up one dream to fulfill another; to keep her aunt’s business, her baby, in the family. Pulling herself out of the memory, she noticed the time and walked over to the window flicking on the neon Open sign.

Nicole

Nicole was enveloped by the smell of fresh brewed coffee and something sweet. At just after 0630 she was one of the first customers. A young, raven-haired teenager was stacking bagels in bins and another woman closer to her own age emerged from the back kitchen rolling a cart filled with breads. The second woman was wearing an apron that said "Bless this Hot Mess," which instantly made Nicole chuckle. The tiny woman’s forearms flexed as she transferred pans full of bread into another cart up front, causing the redhead to swallow hard.

Approaching the counter with confidence she flashed her big smile as the woman turned to greet her. Her long brunette hair was pulled into a high ponytail and she had the most beautiful hazel eyes which seemed to dance before her, reflecting light and changing color within moments. The eyes were accompanied by a megawatt smile that brought warmth into the room. Nicole was distracted by its radiance and therefore did not hear the woman attempting to make contact with the daydreaming redhead.

Waverly 

“Can I help you with something?” Waverly smiled and tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, curious about this new stranger who just entered the cafe.  
She walked up behind the cash register, standing directing in front of the woman. She had clearly just been out for a run. The lightest amount of perspiration dotted her forehead. Beneath her beanie, flame red hair framed a slender neck. 

“Anything I can get for you,” Waverly said, trying again to break through the woman’s trance. The strange woman’s mouth was slightly open, as though she was attempting to speak. Waverly hooked her thumbs in the front pocket of her apron.  
Rachel cleared her throat from somewhere behind Waverly. “‘Scuse me,” she mumbled, trying to get through, between Waverly and the racks of freshly baked bagels and breads. 

The trance was broken and finally the redhead spoke. “A large cappuccino and your favorite type of bagel with cream cheese, please.” 

“Coming right up!” Waverly busied herself.  
"So, I pride myself on knowing everyone in town,” Waverly said as this new woman sat down at a small bistro table against the wall. It didn’t escape Waverly’s notice that the stranger placed herself in sight of her. “And I don’t believe we have ever met.” A smile played on her lips as she foamed the milk for the cappuccino. 

Nicole

Mesmerized by the confident woman before her, Nicole decided to have her breakfast in the coffee house if only it meant another moment in the presence of this captivating woman. Seated by the doorway Nicole fidgeted with the drawstrings on her hoodie as the breathtaking beauty behind the counter prepared her meal. Nicole shyly smiled as the assertive woman sauntered up to her table but promptly slipped on the floor, sending food flying in all directions. Nicole reached out in an attempt to divert the catastrophe, but too late to affect the outcome. Instead she found herself, grasping the apron on the brunette as she wiped cream cheese from her face.

“My goodness, are you okay?” Nicole inquired as she helped the woman off the ground.

“God yes, I’m so sorry about your breakfast.” The brunette replied while motioning to the remnants of her cappuccino and bagel.

“It’s quite alright.” 

“I’ll be back in a flash with a new order.” The brunette winked as she walked back towards the counter.

Nicole chuckled a nervous laugh at the woman’s response. There was a sureness in her actions that she found refreshing. If she had fallen in front of this enigmatic beauty she would have never recovered from the embarrassment. The younger woman she had seen before, came by to clean up the mess as the brunette went about busily preparing her food again. 

Waverly

Be still, my heart, Waverly thought as she brought the second tray over to the table. Her cool collected manner only wavered for a split second as she carried the bagel and fresh cappuccino. 

"I can't believe I was such a klutz!" Waverly announced as she set the tray down. "I swear I'm going to get rid of that damn rug." She nodded her head toward the branded black runner covering the hardwood floor. She laughed, but it sounded nervous to her ears.

This stranger was making her heart jump in her chest and her stomach felt like it was in her throat. Waverly had never had a woman make her feel like her organs were rearranging themselves. Taking a deep breath, she took the money and the receipt from her apron, wedging it under the tray.

"This is the least I can do to apologize."

"Please, accidents happen."

The only thing Waverly could focus on were the redhead's dimples.

"By the way, I'm Waverly. I am the owner of this little cafe. And I'm not usually so clumsy! I promise I won't spill your cappuccino all over you next time." Waverly urged herself to stop talking. What was wrong with her? She was being presumptuous and she had too much on her plate to worry about matters of the heart.

"Wow the owner, huh? I feel honored. I'm Nicole. I just moved here, actually. It's my first day in town."

"Well it's very nice to meet you, Nicole. I hope Pinecliff treats you well. You live in town?" Waverly prompted.

"Just around the corner, actually. I bought the Inn at Pinecliff." 

"We're practically neighbors then! I'll let you get to your breakfast. Let me know what you think!"

Waverly busied herself restocking the bins full of bagels and brewing more coffee as the morning rush began. Although she tried not to, her gaze caught on Nicole. Regardless of the fact that she was drop dead gorgeous even in running gear, she could just tell this newcomer was also kindhearted and generous. Waverly hoped she would come to know her better. 

Nicole

Throughout breakfast Nicole stole glances as she watched the brunette tend to other customers, careful not to get caught. She was not in a position to become enamoured with the owner, she had much work to do on her new property and little time for dailiances. Gathering her things, Nicole chanced direct eye contact with the woman and gave her a little wave, saying thanks, and turned out the door.

Nicole briskly walked the remaining blocks to her house, desperate for a warm shower. Taking the change from the coffeehouse out of her pocket, it was then she noticed a small piece of paper. Carefully unfolding it, a lump formed in her throat as she saw the name and phone number for one Waverly Earp written in flourishing script.


	2. Sparks

Nicole

Nicole was dressed in work boots, a flannel shirt and jeans with a tool belt cinched around her waist. She took a slow walk around the perimeter of her property, noting items she needed to address as well as admiring the beautiful craftsmanship that went into some of the finer details of her inn. As a little girl, she had helped her father build things in their garage and later as a teenager she accompanied him on job sites learning the tools of the trade. Never had she imagined utilizing those skills to reinvent herself as she was now. She briefly wondered if he would have been proud of her, here in this moment. Shaking her head, Nicole took a deep breath. It was time to meet the staff.

Nicole walked into the spacious foyer and soaked in the atmosphere. A simple but elegant chandelier was overhead. The old wooden floors beneath her feet were well preserved and added to the rustic charm. Floating slowly forward she took the time to examine the furnishings, decor, and overall ambiance of each space, making notes where she saw room for improvement. The self-guided tour ended when she entered the kitchen where members of her staff eagerly awaited her introduction.

Nicole listened to her staff, took suggestions and laid out her vision for the future. She felt she had been warmly received and lingered in the kitchen afterwards as the meeting broke up. She noticed a shy woman in the corner keeping mostly to herself and strode over.

“I’m Nicole and you are?”

The young lady flushed at the attention and stumbled over her words.  
“I...I..I’m Michelle.”

Nicole smiled, saying, “It’s okay I don’t bite. How long have you worked here?”

The woman, calmer now responded.  
“Oh since I was sixteen! It’s like being in an old Victorian novel!” Michelle beamed.

“So you have a good handle on the who’s who of townsfolk?”

Her employee lit up and began to give Nicole the rundown on the locals. The redhead willed her body not to betray her when Michelle started to prattle on about the Earps. Just the sound of Waverly’s name sent a chill down her spine; never before had she been so affected by a beautiful stranger. Satisfied with the intel she received she exchanged a few more pleasantries with the woman before leaving Michelle to her work.

Nicole had a long list of things to accomplish before the Inn’s inaugural Halloween party and each day she rose early and drug herself back into her small abode, bone tired but satisfied with her progress. Unfortunately, one day turned into five and still she had not contacted the delightful brunette. Each night she sat by the fire intending to call, but then making excuses as to why she shouldn’t. Self doubt crept in telling her she wouldn’t be that interesting to the likes of Waverly, that and the fact that the woman scared her. Nicole was afraid she might grow to like this woman and her current situation was anything but simple. She still had a lot of healing to do. Better to stay away, she decided.

Waverly 

Waverly convinced herself as she made chocolate chip cookies that this is what friends do. Friends bake friends cookies. A cake or pie might seem a bit overzealous, she thought, and Waverly found muffins too prim. But who doesn't like a fresh chocolate chip cookie? This was what she kept telling herself as she spooned balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. 

She felt like it was her duty to welcome Nicole. She knew what it was like to start over, not knowing what to expect or who to trust. Nicole hadn't called all week, and by day 5, Waverly had practically worn a hole in her area rug by pacing. Maybe it had been presumptuous to give the newcomer her number. It was certainly flirtatious banter they had shared that morning, right? Definitely, Waverly thought as she replayed the scene in her mind for the umpteenth time.

The Inn at Pinecliff was right around the corner and what harm could it do to pop over and see if she could be of any help? She hadn't seen Nicole once at Stagecoach since that fateful morning. Waverly's last girlfriend had accused her of being too clingy. She never thought of caring for another human being as clingy and overbearing, but that is what Rosita had shouted at her as she threw her clothes in a garbage bag and left Waverly's apartment. She hoped that this gesture would come across as kind, not clingy. It had been a whole week, after all. 

Nicole

The dew was still clinging to the grass as Nicole started her day. She had set up two sawhorses to cut some wood for the new bannister she was installing, but first she needed more firewood. Grabbing the axe in her well worn gloves, she launched into her task. Quickly beads of sweat formed on her brow and she was forced to remove the flannel she was wearing. The blue tank top she now sported showcased her muscular arms and the crisp air dissipated the heat that had been building due to the strenuous physical work. Wielding the axe like a pro, Nicole swiftly fell into a rhythm oblivious to her surroundings. Several minutes into the chore, she lifted up the axe to strike another blow and heard a gasp. Startled, Nicole lost focus and the axe went flying backwards into one of the sawhorses with a loud thud. Backlit by the rising sun, the angelic Waverly Earp stood before her with what looked like a plate of homemade cookies.

Nicole tilted her head upwards ever so slightly as a bashful smile flirted on the edge of her lips.

“Those for me?”

Waverly was transfixed by a bead of sweat trickling down the redhead's long graceful neck. Shaking her head, the brunette attempted to clear her mind of the less than pure thoughts circling in her brain.

“Maybe….maybe not. Do you think you deserve any of my award winning chocolate chip cookies after ghosting me?” Waverly uttered with flirtatious intent.

Nicole looked stricken. 

“Kidding, I can see you have been very busy here,” Waverly said motioning to the now toppled sawhorse.

“Waverly, I’m awfully sorry I didn’t call,” Nicole whispered with eyes downcast.

“Oh honey, it’s okay. I just wanted to stop by and see if I could be of any assistance to you. I have the day off and am good with my hands.”

Nicole swallowed hard at that last comment. Why was she a hot gay mess before this captivating woman? 

“That’s very sweet of you to offer, but I couldn’t put you out.”

Waverly had closed the gap between them and gave the woman a soft squeeze on her arm. My God was she built, she thought as color rose to her cheeks.

“Silly, that’s what friends are for, assuming you’d like to be my friend that is.” Waverly winked.

“No..I mean yes,” Nicole stuttered, thinking not so friendly thoughts of the woman still gripping her arm. She was finding it hard to breathe with Waverly standing so close, touching her. It sent sparks flying in all directions throughout her body, drying her throat like a strong desert wind. 

Waverly thought she saw gay panic flash across the face of the woman before her causing a slight chuckle to escape.

“Come on, let’s go have a cookie then you can give me the grand tour.” Waverly guided the redhead towards what she assumed was her house.

Nicole took a deep breath and allowed the tiny woman to lead her away from her work. She was finding this take charge woman hard to resist and that was very, very bad.

Waverly

One of the first things Waverly noticed about the small cottage was how sparse it was. It was set up studio apartment style, like Waverly’s apartment, and for Nicole, everything was utilitarian. From the sensible gray sofa in front of the homey fireplace to the kitchenette that lined the far wall, everything had a place and a purpose. There was not a speck of dust or, Waverly thought to herself, a house plant.  
Natural light streamed through the oversized windows that framed the brick fireplace. There were no framed photos either, which Waverly found odd.

“This is such a cute little place.”

“Thanks. I haven’t had much time to work on it because I’ve been so focused on making sure the inn is renovated.”

Waverly set the cookies on the small breakfast table set off to the side in the kitchen area. There were napkins within reach so she grabbed two and placed a cookie on each one. 

"What were you working on out there?" Waverly asked as she handed a cookie to Nicole. 

"Well I was chopping some wood for the fireplaces and I also planned on getting the new banisters installed this afternoon."  
Waverly nibbled her cookie, more than impressed.  
"That's ambitious. So how did you come to learn all these skills?" 

Nicole didn't speak for a short time, and Waverly feared she had said the wrong thing. 

"My dad taught me when I was young. When I got older he took me to job sites." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, I bet that was interesting! Does he still renovate and build?"

"He passed away 14 years ago." 

Nicole said it with a neutral tone, but Waverly felt the tension rising and she was treading in dangerous water. She had a million more questions on the tip of her tongue, but her mind told her not to ask them. Waverly didn't think it appropriate to do a deep dive into Nicole's past after just meeting for a second time now. 

Instead, she thought of a safer question.  
"Do you enjoy carpentry, then?"

Nicole perked up as she swallowed the rest of the cookie. "At first I didn't. There's a steep learning curve that comes from patience and a hell of a lot of practice and a lot of junked pieces of wood. But then I began to get the hang of what I was doing and I loved restoring these pieces of history, or creating something new and beautiful."

Waverly watched as the redhead became enveloped in the rich details of her hobby, careful not to mention her father again. She smiled and encouraged Nicole to tell her more. She was enjoying this side of Nicole: passionate, creative, happy. 

Nicole suddenly looked embarrassed. "Oh my gosh I've been blabbing for too long! I'm so sorry. I should get back to work. That wood is not going to chop itself!"

"I never have liked chopping wood," Waverly said with a crooked smile which made Nicole actually laugh out loud. It's light timbre made Waverly's heart beat a little faster. She chastised herself though; Nicole seemed like she needed a friend right now, not anything more. 

"In all seriousness, I am at your disposal. How can I be of help? I can't chop but I can stack?" 

"I have a better idea."

Nicole took her outside and reestablished the sawhorse that had accidentally fallen victim to the errant axe.

Waverly watched as she did this and as Nicole set a long thin piece of wood atop the two sawhorses. 

"I could use your help sanding this down to a smooth finish, if you're up for the task."

Nicole looked expectantly at Waverly as though she was going to say no. 

"Sure! But, uh, how do I sand?"

Nicole laughed again and Waverly had to keep herself from melting into a puddle right at the redhead's feet. 

"Here, I'll show you." She handed Waverly a pair of gloves and a square of grit paper. "This one is fine grit sandpaper. The finer the grit, the smoother the finish. You're just going to want to go in smooth strokes, with the grain, like this."

Waverly gulped. She watched on as Nicole took another piece of paper and lightly sanded the wood. 

"You'll want to use light pressure."

Waverly was beginning to sweat, even in the cool morning air. 

"Light pressure, smooth strokes, with the grain. I think I got it." Waverly suppressed the giggle that was bubbling in her throat. She set herself to the task as Nicole supervised. Eventually, happy that Waverly had gotten the hang of it very quickly, she walked a few feet to her axe and began chopping more wood. 

Waverly found herself watching Nicole swing the axe more than she was watching what she was doing. If she wasn't careful she was going to rub a hole straight through this future banister. 

Nicole

The days got cooler as autumn came full force into PineCliff. Nicole worked at a feverish pace to get ready for the 1st annual Halloween Costume Party she was hosting to show off the hard work she and her staff had put into improvements at the magnificent estate. She had sold the idea to her enthusiastic staff as a reverse welcome party to introduce the community to the new proprietor of the Inn and share her vision with the residents to elicit their support for future events. Nicole had a plan in place to start a book of the month supper club at the residence. She would select a book, highlight it as an experience for her guests and send it to them free of charge prior to their stay. The community could also read the book and enter a lottery to attend the supper where the book would be discussed. The meal would be free to all who participated to help facilitate an intimate and authentic experience. She also wanted to hire local actors to perform in murder mysteries to be staged by the Inn. When she shared these ideas with Waverly, she squealed in delight and had instantly appointed herself as the book ambassador, practically demanding Nicole put her in charge of the supper club. Nicole thought it was adorable.

Since the first day Waverly stopped by a couple of weeks ago, the two women had fallen into a routine of sorts. Nicole would stop by Stagecoach Coffee after her run three times a week for breakfast and if things were slow, enjoy the company of its beautiful owner. Waverly in return would spend part of her day off helping the redhead with her never ending to do list. They usually enjoyed lunch together before the brunette left to run her own errands. It had not gone unnoticed by Nicole that the petite woman seemed to be leaving later and later each time she visited. 

She would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy every moment of it. There was still trepidation on her part where Waverly was concerned, but she was ignoring the little voice inside of her telling her to stay away. Nicole loved spending time with the woman. Her budding friendship with Waverly helped stave off the loneliness that had engulfed her since the move and it was just so damn easy to be relaxed and at peace in her presence. The natural chemistry the two had with one another was undeniable and stirred feelings in Nicole she was not sure she wanted. Waverly was a beautiful, selfless human who she felt deserved someone who would enhance her world. Right now Nicole saw herself as too damaged to give anything but friendship to the woman who made her heart skip a beat and soar among the heavens.

The incessant sound of beeping pierced through the nightmare Nicole was having. Groaning as she rolled over, the redhead looked at the alarm clock. 0500. Drenched in sweat, the woman peeled back the covers and shuffled to the bathroom. Once showered, Nicole stripped the bed and started the washing machine. The days had gotten easier since her move because she was so busy with the renovations and her newfound friendship with a certain brunette, but no matter what she did, she could not escape the night. Sleep was elusive, often punctured by recurring nightmares of the time before PineCliff. She thought distance from that life would bring some closure, but her heart was not healing from the guilt she felt. Perhaps she needed help. With a sigh, Nicole put on her outer garments and walked over to the main house.

Inside the kitchen, her staff was busy making the final preparations on breakfast for the guests. She gave a quick smile to each one as she surveyed the spread.

“It looks wonderful guys, well done!”

“Thanks Miss Haught, wanna muffin?”  
Gregory, her head chef inquired.

“They look delicious...how could I say no?”  
With muffin in hand Nicole walked into the dining room and saw Michelle setting the table.

“Good morning," Nicole said.

“Morning,” Michelle replied without enthusiasm. 

Nicole picked up on the unusual tone.  
“Everything alright?”

“Yes, well no. Last night there was a fire.”

“Where?”

“A local garage called Shorty’s. It was a total loss, but that’s not the worst. Three firefighters were injured. Champ, my boyfriend, was one of them.”

“What on earth are you doing here then?”

“Miss Haught, as much as I would love to be by his side, we are now depending on my income alone. He was hurt real bad and will not be working his paying job for a long time coming,” Michelle uttered through sniffles.

“Honey, family means everything. You take this week off. You will be paid 40 hours regardless of what you were scheduled," Nicole announced.

Michelle was overcome by the gesture and gave her employer a quick, heartfelt hug while she exclaimed thank you over and over. 

Once she released Nicole she added, “You might want to check on your friend Waverly. Shorty is like family to her and I’m sure she is devastated by the news.”

Nicole’s eyes flashed concern and she gave the girl’s hand a quick squeeze in acknowledgement before bolting back through the kitchen and out the door. 

Waverly

The fire sirens sounded at 2:42am.  
Waverly rolled over in bed to see the alarm clock's glow that dimly lit the small nightstand. She grabbed her phone and opened the app that allowed her to listen to the radio channel the fire station and the police used. The dispatcher crackled and she explained the situation to the first responders. As Waverly listened, she realized that the fire was just a mile or so south on Route 28. The dispatcher repeated the address once more and the sleepy fog that surrounded Waverly disappeared. She felt as though a cold bucket of water had just been dumped over her and the blood seemed to freeze in her veins. 

That's the address to Shorty's garage. He was like a second uncle to Waverly. He was her Uncle Curtis's best friend and after Curtis passed away, Shorty filled that void. He and Gus would often take her to get ice cream, or take her to the farmer's museum where she could watch the chickens run around for hours or pet the goats that would stick their heads through the wooden slats of the fence. Then, Gus died and that left Shorty. 

Waverly was gutted by the sirens still wailing in the distance. Tears rolled down her cheeks in the darkness. Although she wasn't particularly religious, Waverly prayed to God for everyone's safety. It was going to be a long night and she knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep another minute, so she dressed and headed over to Shorty's house to see how she could help. 

Nicole 

Walking into the coffee house, Nicole quickly scanned for any sign of Waverly. She saw Rachel and another employee she did not recognize. Steadying herself, she walked up to the counter.

“Morning Miss Haught.”

“Hi Rach. Is Waverly here?” 

Something quick flashed behind the teenager’s eyes.  
“Um, no actually. Family emergency.”

Nicole’s heart sank upon hearing the news. She ordered a coffee while pondering whether or not to reach out to the woman.  
It’s what a friend would do right?  
With hot coffee in hand, she took a seat and typed out a text. 

Hey Waves I just heard about the fire. I am so sorry. Is there anything you need?

…..

Nicole stared at the dots while her stomach was doing somersaults. What if I just intruded on a family gathering? What if she just wants to be left alone and I’ve made her mad? Nicole never used to have such self doubt, but since what happened to Shae all confidence in her ability to assess even the simplest of situations had faltered.

Thanks for reaching out. It’s such a shock about Shorty’s. Kinda could use a friend about now.

I’m here.

I don’t see you in my apartment.

Tell me where you live and I can be.

Actually, I live above the coffeeshop, how have I never told you this?

Waves, I’m downstairs.

Nicole strode up the staircase with a mix of trepidation and delight. She would always be happy to spend time with Waverly, but under the circumstances she was not sure what to expect from her emotional state hence the trepidation. She took a quick breath to calm her nerves and knocked on the door.

She could hear what sounded like bare feet crossing a hardwood floor. The door opened and standing before her was a tousled haired Waverly in nothing but a night shirt. The woman’s eyes were puffy and she looked tired, but Nicole was having a hard time processing that part of her appearance. The shirt was a bit lopsided exposing her left collarbone and fell mid thigh, accentuating the well formed muscles. It should be a crime to be this hot in grief. Nicole unconsciously bit her lower lip while unabashedly perusing Waverly’s body. She had no idea how long she would have stood there gaping if not for the sound of the brunette clearing her throat. Finally making eye contact, there was no mistaking the fact she’d been caught by the shit eating grin the Waverly was giving her.

“If you’re done, come in.”

Embarrassed, Nicole followed her through the space to a comfortable couch without a word. Waverly took a seat tucking one leg up under her and patting the cushion next to her to indicate where she wanted Nicole to sit. The redhead thought she was going to have a panic attack sitting that close to the beautiful woman in her current state of dress. 

“I...um...I just wanted to check on you.” Nicole fumbled through the words. 

Waverly reached out her hand and placed it on the woman’s thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thanks for coming, Nicole, it means alot.”

Nicole braved a look directly into those hazel eyes before and saw sincerity flowing within. It calmed her and she relaxed a bit now knowing she was welcome, but gay panic was just below the surface because Waverly had not yet removed her hand from Nicole’s thigh and it was doing things to her. 

Waverly seemed to just be enjoying her presence and Nicole sat next to her in comfortable silence, the brunette eventually leaned into her side and the redhead draped her arm over her shoulders pulling her further against her. It was the first real physical contact the two had shared besides quick touches. Waverly seemed to melt further into her and sigh.  
“I went over to see Shorty early this morning. There wasn't much to be done, so he sent me back home. I’m just so thankful Shorty wasn’t hurt last night, but I feel awful for what happened to those firefighters.”

Nicole inadvertently recoiled a bit as a memory shot through her uninvited. The woman next to her sensed the change and lifted her head up with inquiring eyes. While Waverly seemed like an open book to Nicole, she knew she had not reciprocated the same level of trust in their growing friendship. Waverly was in her arms, vulnerable, so she swallowed hard getting ready to open up a little. 

“Sorry, it’s just what happened last night has reawakened some old wounds.” She uttered with trembling lips. Concern spread across Waverly’s face as she sat upright to face Nicole fully.  
“It’s just that, I used to be a firefighter so I understand all too well what they went through last night.” The redhead’s voice trailing off. She had not intended to display so much emotion but she felt safe and protected with Waverly and those feelings long repressed began to bubble towards the surface.

The brunette slowly grazed her hand across Nicole’s cheek wiping the tears cascading down her face so fast they splashed off of Waverly’s arm. Without warning she was drawn into a strong, loving embrace and that is when Nicole just let go. They held onto one another both lost to their own demons for quite some time, content to just be there for each other. Eventually Waverly pulled away cupping Nicole’s face and leaning her forehead against hers.

“Thanks for letting me in.”

“Thanks for being a safe space.”

The two women lingered like that a moment longer.

“Hey Nicole.”

“What?” She replied with the hint of a laugh.

“I was wondering if I could tag along with you today, I know you're super busy but, honestly I do not want to be alone.”

“Anytime Waves, anytime.”

“Really?”

“Waves you are always welcome around me. Truth is, your friendship is the best thing that’s happened to me since moving here, so thank you for that.”

The brunette shifted a little uncomfortably next to Nicole and she began to worry she said something to upset Waverly, so she put her hand over the one still cupping her face.

“Look, how about I let you get ready while I head back to the Inn to get some stuff ready for today’s adventure.”

“Ready? Don’t you have a million things to do at your place?”

“I do Waves, but I think both you and I can agree that we also need to make time for things that feed our souls. We could both use some healthy distraction from the real world today.”

Nicole saw a spark in the brunette’s eyes as she pondered the possibilities the day now offered. She rose from the couch and walked towards the door, looking back just once. 

“See you soon Waves.” The redhead gave a quick wink and was gone.

Waverly

Her head was still spinning as she slipped off the night shirt to change. It had only been a few minutes when another knock sounded on the door. It must be Nicole, Waverly thought. Maybe she had left her phone on the couch or something. She quickly shimmied into her skinny jeans, but left her lacy bralette exposed. Her still bare feet padded across the floor. She couldn’t help it; she had a smile plastered on her face. Maybe Nicole just decided to wait for her to get ready instead. 

Another knock reverberated, but this time it was louder and the knocks came in quick succession. 

“Hold your horses, silly. I’m coming,” Waverly called out as she crossed the living room.

There was yet another knock as Waverly swung the door open.

“Hey you―” Instead of greeting Nicole, there was a brunette with a scowl on her face. Her arms snaked across her chest to cover herself. 

“What the f―”

“Woah do you always answer the door in lingerie? Aren't you happy to see me?” Wynonna asked when her sister didn't respond. The scowl quickly turned into a radiant smile, but Waverly could practically see the horseshit radiating from her sister. 

“Frankly, Wynonna Earp, I am never happy to see you.”

Wynonna stuck her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout. “Aw, come on. Invite me in, let’s chat.” 

But she didn’t wait to be invited; Wynonna sidled past Waverly and did a loop around the small studio apartment. She surveyed the decorated walls, whistling. 

“My, my, baby girl, you have really outdone yourself. The last time I saw this place it was a dump.”

“That's probably the last time you saw me too, wasn’t it, Wynonna? How about we drop the act and you can tell me why you’re really here.” Waverly could feel herself bristling and all she wanted to do was escape this madness and run to Nicole who would protect her. 

“I dropped by to say hello and to check on you. I just happened to be in the area, so...why not?”

“We haven’t seen each other since the funeral. Don’t try to fool me. You don’t just pop by, unannounced. You either need or want something. So what is it, just tell me so we can rip it off like a bandaid and I can tell you to go to hell.”

“You’ve become a brazen thing. Hey,” Wynonna said, completely directing the conversation elsewhere. “You got any good whiskey laying around this place. I could really use a drink. And I mean, really, really.”

“Tell me why you’re here and I’ll find you some booze. Pretty sure there’s some Haig something that you left here from the last time you visited.”

Wynonna sighed and her shoulders sagged. “I couldn’t be at the house with John anymore. We’ve done nothing but fight for the past few months. Plus, I heard about the fire at Shorty’s garage so I figured I’d make the trip to see you guys.”

“Convenient. I can’t do this, Wynonna. You showing up here, like this.” She waved her hands in the direction of her big sister. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but her gut was tangled in knots over her sister’s arrival. Waverly worked extremely hard to get her life back together after she left her schooling to run Stagecoach. Wynonna seemed to jeopardize that fragile balance she was maintaining. 

“Can’t I just stay for a night or two? Then I’ll be out of your hair. I want to see Shorty before I leave.”

Waverly folded her arms across her chest again, once more remembering that she wasn’t wearing a top. “Whatever, Wynonna. I don’t have time for this. I have to be somewhere.”

“What about that booze?”

Waverly pulled on the closest shirt she could find, then she dug into one of her kitchen cabinets, revealing a half empty blue bottle. It hit the counter with a loud thunk. 

“Knock yourself out.”

Nicole

Nicole had just finished making the last preparations for her plan when she saw Waverly pull up in her red Jeep. The woman hopped out and strode confidently over to where the redhead stood next to her truck. Nicole noticed a change in her demeanor and saw a fire behind her eyes. Something other than the events of last night had the woman before her upset.

“What are we doing today?” 

“It’s a surprise, though a bit of drive. Do you need anything before we hit the road?”

“Oooo a road trip...as I get to pick the music!” Waverly said.

Nicole saw that the enthusiasm took effort and began to rethink her decision.

“Hey Waves, are you sure you’re okay to go? We don’t have to,” Nicole said in a low tone trying so hard to hide her fear of the answer to come.

“Of course. Believe me, I need the distraction now more than ever,” Waverly said with an edge.

Satisfied with the answer, Nicole stepped around her truck and opened the passenger door, helping the brunette in. Buckled up and ready to hit the road, the redhead chanced a glance at Waverly, catching her beautiful profile as she looked out the window. A soft smile formed on her lips as Nicole pulled out of the drive.

The two women sat in comfortable silence until they turned onto County Road 52. Nicole then nudged Waverly. 

“I thought you were supposed to be DJing here...all I hear is static.”

Waverly popped out of her trance and started spinning the dial, finally settling on a station. The woman immediately started singing along. 

My favorite color is you  
You're vibrating out my frequency  
My favorite color is you  
You keep me young and that's how I wanna be  
My favorite color is you  
You're vibrating out my frequency  
My favorite color is you  
You keep me young and that's how I wanna be

Nicole's mouth was slightly agape as she heard the sweetest voice emanate from the beauty beside her. My God, she could listen to this all day. There was something powerful and passionate about the lyrics and how she was singing them. It was sending shivers down Nicole’s spine. Waverly must have sensed a change in the atmosphere because she turned to see Nicole focused on her and not the road. Rumble strips alerted Nicole that she was veering out of the lane and she quickly course corrected. 

A playful smirk emerged on Waverly’s face knowing full well she was the cause.

“Distracted?”

Nicole swallowed hard, a bit embarrassed at being caught so openingly worshipping the woman before her.

"Well when a cat sounds like it’s drowning next to you, it’s hard not to be.”

Waverly looked genuinely offended. 

The mischievous grin gave Nicole away.

“Seriously Waves, you have such a soulful voice. It’s quite hypnotic really.”

The brunette blushed at the comment.

The two women spent the next half hour singing along with the radio feeding off the joyful energy that came from doing something they loved. Nicole eventually turned off the county road and made her way into the town limits of Middleburg.

She parked her vehicle in front of Bobo’s Archery. Waverly looked up and read the sign, a perplexed look upon her face. 

“Seems an odd place to bring a vegan.”

“Shush. Just wait,” Nicole said playfully as shit, lightly tapping the brunette’s shoulder.

The young man behind the counter greeted the two women as they entered the store.

“How can I help you?”

“We would like to rent some bows and a lane, please,” Nicole replied.

“Okay, let’s get you set up,” the gentleman said with enthusiasm.

He spent the next few minutes sizing each woman for the appropriate bow and adjusting the tension of the string. He showed the ladies how to hold the bow, load the arrow and aim. Satisfied with his assessment of their abilities and adherence to safety protocols, he pointed towards the outdoor lanes and bid them happy shooting.

“I’m not shooting anything that resembles an animal Nicole,” Waverly declared.

“The targets we’ll be aiming for are paper. I did my research...I hope you know I wouldn’t do that to you,” Nicole muttered in reply.

Rounding the corner to their lane Waverly saw that indeed there were several paper targets affixed to blocks at varying distance. Nicole could hear the woman before her sigh in relief.

“Do you want to try first?” Nicole asked.  
Waverly sheepishly shook her head, so Nicole put her quiver in the stand in front of the closest target. Making sure Waverly was a safe distance behind her, she took an arrow and put it just above a metal notch in the string, listening for the click to indicate it was secure, then set it atop a small piece of metal protruding from the front of the bow. She checked her stance and slowly lifted the bow up pointing downrange. She drew the string back, pressing it gently against her face near the corner of her mouth as she pushed with her other hand against the bow feeling the resistance. Settling her breathing, Nicole took aim at the yellow circle in the middle of the target and let the arrow fly. A soft thud was heard as the arrow stuck just to the right of where she was aiming. Nicole noticed how quiet the brunette was, so she glanced back and noticed a hitch in Waverly’s breath as a smile spread across her face.

“Ready Waves?” Nicole winked.

Shaking her head up and down vigorously, the tiny woman stepped up as the redhead moved to the side. Nicole watched as the woman repeated the steps she had just completed herself. She noticed the flex in Waverly’s left forearm and definition in her right tricep accentuated under the resistance the bow provided. It was a sight to behold and caused her to groan under her breath. Nicole’s eyes bulged in shock as the brunette released her arrow and promptly sent it flying into the center circle.

“Jesus Waves, you got a bullseye. You sure you haven’t done this before?”

“I told you I was good with my hands,” The brunette quipped with a wink.

Waverly 

Although she had never shot a bow before, she took to it naturally and she felt an exhilaration every time she hit the target. The way Nicole was looking at her with such adoration and approval sent her heart into a frenzy. She had to steady her breath and her heart before she took another shot. 

Waverly would have been lying to herself if she said she hadn’t pictured Wynonna’s face on the target. She didn’t hate her sister, even though most of the time she strongly disliked her. Wynonna could only be handled in small doses. Their five minute interaction was about all Waverly could stand before she basically threw alcohol at her and fled from the apartment. 

It bothered her, the way she so effortlessly floated in and out of Waverly’s life like a gypsy. She never knew when her sister would show up; they never called or texted each other unless it was an absolute emergency, the last time being Gus’s death. Now, Wynonna floats back in because of the fire at Shorty’s. It bothered her because she was the one putting in the effort. She was the one sister present and accounted for when everyone else left. She loved Gus and Curtis and Shorty was an extension of that. It hurt her to think that Wynonna had a relationship with Shorty as well. She had thought of Shorty as her own, since Wynonna was so rarely, if ever, in town. Waverly was the one that made the sacrifice when Gus passed away. She knew that if Wynonna got her hands on the business, she would sell it in a heartbeat or run it into the ground. Gus must have known that as well when she left the majority share to Waverly. Wynonna got a monthly check mailed to her with her 10% of the earnings. The business was doing well, so Waverly figured she wouldn’t be coming for more money. 

As she shot countless arrows, she found the rhythm of drawing the bow, aiming, and the release to be cathartic. She knew Nicole was watching and it steadied her. Just breathe. That’s all she had to do. Clear her mind and breathe. 

For that afternoon, Wynonna didn't exist. The cafe didn't exist. Here and there, Nicole would give words of encouragement when Waverly was off target, or they would talk and laugh about nothing in particular. It had been a long time since Waverly felt a genuine connection to anyone, and their friendship was blossoming into something Waverly truly cherished. She wanted to rip the redhead's clothes off her body every time they were together, but Nicole wasn't there yet, and Waverly could sense this. She knew there was something under the surface keeping her from being totally content. 

Eventually, they came to the consensus that they were both starving. Nicole took her to The Hen and Hound, a small mom and pop place they had passed on the way into town. Waverly was surprised to see a healthy selection of vegan options. She couldn’t decide between two of the dishes so Nicole got the seitan wings and Waverly the beyond burger so they could share. The brunette was touched by the gesture as she knew Nicole wasn’t vegan.

Waverly was doing her best to keep up the cheery mood, but she was beginning to fade. Her smiles were forced and she was making an effort to keep up with the conversation that usually flowed so easily. When they sat down across from each other in the booth, Nicole's lips pitched slightly downward in a frown. 

"I know you didn't really want to talk this morning, but would you want to talk about it now?" 

Waverly shook her head. "Not really."

She didn't want to complicate Nicole's life, and Wynonna was definitely a complication. She sighed and her shoulders sagged. Waverly hadn't realized how much tension she had been carrying around since her sister showed up. 

"Well I hope you know I'm here for you. Whatever it is. I know the fire at Shorty's was a huge blow to your family."

"Thanks, Nicole. It's not that though. We will get through that, Shorty and I. Sometimes it feels like he's the only family I have left that supports me." 

Nicole waited for her to continue, eyes full of concern.  
"Just after you left my sister decided to show up on my doorstep."

"You don't sound happy about that at all."

"To say she is a trainwreck is an understatement."

"Ah."

Waverly sighed again. "I don't want to ruin our nice afternoon though. I had so much fun and I don't want the day to end."

"It hasn't yet. We haven't even gotten our food yet!"

Nicole was a saint and carried the conversation, as well as the rest of the afternoon. She made sure Waverly was comfortable, put on her favorite music for the drive home, and offered to have her come back to the Inn to hang out. 

"I need to be an adult and face it. Face her. I haven't seen her in a year and a half. Last time I saw her was for Gus's funeral. And even then she was asking when we were selling Stagecoach and splitting the profit. I just feel like I have a rock in the pit of my stomach." 

Waverly hadn't known she was so close to tears until the redhead wrapped her in a tight hug, her tears wetting the shirt beneath her cheek. 

"It'll be okay, Waves."

Waverly could only nod into her shoulder as her arms tightened around Nicole. 

"And if it's not, send me an SOS text and I will be there, okay?" 

Waverly nodded again, pulling away slightly. She stretched on her tiptoes and planted a gentle kiss on the redhead's cheek. 

"You are incredible, Nicole Haught. Thank you." 

She steeled herself before ascending the stairs. She would not let Wynonna ruin her life once again. 

Nicole

Nicole touched her cheek where moments earlier Waverly had planted a quick kiss. She didn’t know how to feel about it. Her body and heart were having a predictable response to the gesture, but Nicole’s mind was reeling. They had connected on an intimate level, revealing more of themselves to each other and it felt wonderful and scary. It had been a long time since Nicole had been comfortable sharing any details of her life with someone else. 

This past year had been tumultuous for her and the ghosts of her past had created enough self doubt to make her resistant to starting something with the magnetic brunette. Truth was though, she was afraid that after the initial attraction they both felt, Waverly would see her as a damaged soul and it sounded like she had enough complications in her life. But dammit, she wanted to be better and be worthy of the affection Waverly had shown her. Nicole knew deep down what she needed to do, so with a mix of fear and hope, she dialed the number she had looked up earlier. 

With trembling breath said, "Hello, I'd like to make an appointment."

Waverly

She dreaded returning to her apartment. She wanted to continue her day with Nicole, to run back down the stairs to Nicole’s truck and drive far from here. But she was going to be the bigger person. She would hear her sister out. As much as she didn’t want to see her, Wynonna was one of the only family members she had left. Waverly felt like she needed to make amends before it was too late. 

She opened the door, not knowing what to expect. Probably Wynonna passed out face down on the couch. Instead, she found Wynonna sitting on the couch, boots up on the coffee table, the whiskey and an empty lowball glass next to it. As far as Waverly could tell, the liquor hadn’t been touched. 

“Hey.”

“Hey, back.” 

Wynonna pulled her feet off the table and leaned back against the cushions.

“I’m surprised you didn’t polish off that bottle. Pretty sure it was yours from a long time ago.”

Wynonna stared at the whiskey. “Might surprise you, but I’m trying to do better, babygirl.”

Waverly’s eyebrows arched, creating creases in her usually smooth forehead.

“I haven’t heard that nickname since I was a kid.”

“What can I say? I’m feeling a bit...nostalgic. Don't hold my moment of weakness against me."

Waverly leaned against the wall, afraid to sit and let her guard down.  
“Are you going to really tell me why you’re here?”

“Isn't it enough that I wanted to see my baby sister?”

Waverly spoke plainly.  
“No.”

“I’m trying to get my life in order. We’re family. Where else would I go?”

“How long are you staying?”

“For as long as you allow me to sleep on this delightfully scratchy couch.”

“Hey--”

"Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Wynonna interrupted. Apparently she still knew how to get a rise from her sister. “I’ll be out of your hair in a week or two, tops.”

Waverly nodded. It was emotionally draining to be in the same room as this woman. They had never been particularly close growing up, but tension in their relationship was building again. Waverly didn’t want to admit to the fact that it would just be easier to get rid of Wynonna now and be done with her. But that wasn’t the person Waverly wanted to be. 

Slowly, she nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay.”

Waverly nodded again. “I need some air.”  
And with that she walked back out the way she came, down the stairs, out to the sidewalk, her feet pounding on the pavement as she put more distance between them. 

Nicole

The following day, Nicole found herself the only person seated in a bare waiting room. The door next to the receptionist opened and a short woman with long dark hair and a calming smiling introduced herself. 

“I’m Dr. Lopez. You’re Nicole, I presume?” 

“Yes.” 

“This way, please.” The woman gestured for her to follow, leading Nicole down the hallway and into a warmly lit office. The redhead took a seat on the couch and once she was cozy, the doctor began.

“So tell me what brings you in today.”

“I need help moving past some traumatic things.” 

“I see. Begin where you are most comfortable.”

Nicole gave the doctor a nervous smile and launched into her life story.  
The session flew by and before she knew it, her time was up. 

“Thank you for sharing. I know that it is not easy to do. How do you feel right now?” 

“Better, surprisingly.”

“Well here are my recommendations. I would like to see you once weekly to start and I think you would benefit from group therapy. It can be very helpful to get feedback from your peers in a safe environment. They can be your sounding board and will not be afraid to call you out when appropriate, which I honestly think you need to help break the endless loop of self doubt you are currently caught in.”

Nicole looked up at the doctor for a moment before for slowly nodding her head in approval.

Once out of the session, she booked her next appointments and walked out into the cool fall day. Dr. Lopez’s office was just a few blocks from the Inn so she had walked there. Not eager to head back to work just yet, Nicole meandered through the streets of PineCliff, unaware where her feet were taking her. She looked up to see the sign and a brief smile crossed her face. If she was going to heal from her wounds, she would need to start here. She walked into the open bay of the PineCliff Volunteer Fire Department and asked for the Chief. She was guided to a small office and sat down. Chief Nedley came bouncing in with a cup of coffee and stopped dead in his tracks.  
Extending out her hand to the gentleman Nicole introduced herself.

“Um hi, I’m Nicole Haught and I’m interested in volunteering with your department.”

Chief Nedley eyed the woman before him with a sense of suspicion and curiosity.  
“I know who you are Investigator Haught, I just can’t fathom why you are in my office.” 

“Like I said, I’m interested in volunteering here.”

“No offense, but I don’t buy it. You're a damn legend in our field and after what happened at Shorty’s it hard to call this meeting a coincidence.”

“Look, I just moved here and bought the Inn down the street. Michelle told me what happened to your firefighters and given the fact I’m a trained firefighter, I thought you could use the help but clearly I’m not wanted,” Nicole barked with anger in her voice as she rose from her chair to move past the gruff man. 

“You and I both know you’re more than that. I’m sorry if I’ve come off as ungrateful, it’s just the timing is highly suspicious to me.”

“Why?” 

“Because I don’t think the fire at Shorty’s was a mere accident.”


	3. Smoldering

Waverly

A typical Thursday for Waverly meant she was in the kitchen of Stagecoach from before sunup to well after sun down. The days were getting shorter and the sun was setting earlier and earlier. Twilight hit around 7pm and the street lights would illuminate the fallen leaves on the sidewalk. 

Waverly stepped outside in the crisp air to escape the warmth inside. They had been running the ovens all day and she yearned for the bite of the coldness on her skin.   
She was trying not to overreact. Wynonna had been staying with her for almost a week now and it was taxing on her mental state. 

Sometimes she disappeared during the day doing God knows what and Waverly never asked. She didn’t want to know and she assumed the less she knew the better.   
Waverly had received sporadic texts from Nicole but they had been curt one to two word responses. 

Numerous times she had texted out long messages asking Nicole how she was doing and to please talk to her, but she only deleted the texts seconds later, thinking they were too clingy. Nicole obviously wanted space and maybe the peck on the cheek had been too much. Waverly forced all thought of Nicole from her mind. It would only serve to hurt her. 

As if on cue, her phone vibrated in her pocket. A text illuminated the screen with the simple words:  
Dinner tomorrow night? Planning a special menu.

She waited a few beats to respond; she didn't want to seem too eager.

Your place around 6? I’ll be there.   
Can’t wait!

Nicole

Nicole had a long and intriguing conversation with Chief Nedley, agreeing to the terms of her role within the PineCliff Volunteer Fire Department. Nicole knew it would be hard work getting her quals in and so with her characteristic determination she spent the next week working feverishly to accomplish the tasks.   
When she was not busy renovating her Inn, she was down at the department familiarizing herself with their equipment and getting ready for her exam at the end of the week that would allow her to begin taking calls. 

This left little time for socialization and though the two women had sent sporadic texts, she had not seen Waverly since the day they went to the range. They had planned to have dinner that evening and it warmed Nicole’s heart to no end.  
The redhead had seen her therapist earlier in the week and today was her first group appointment. She was a little wary of opening up to strangers especially given her new role in the community, but she knew without a doubt it was what she needed.

Walking into the group therapy room, Nicole noted three other participants waiting on Dr. Lopez. Instinctively, she took a seat opposite them to create as much distance as possible. A few awkward moments later the doctor walked in and began the session.

The group began to roll along starting with Molly, who was complaining about her cat Mittens scratching her face just before a first date, causing her distress. 

A woman opposite Nicole with long dark hair started snickering. Dr. Lopez looked at the woman and interjected.

“What’s so funny Wynonna?” The woman having been called out, glared back at the doctor.

“Well to be frank, the fact that Molly actually had a date.”

Molly for her part looked on the verge of tears. 

“Typical Wynonna tearing down others so she doesn’t have to deal with her own failures in life.” A blonde woman named Chrissy pipped in.

“Says the woman crowned class bully in high school.” Wynonna snipped back.

“Sometimes you're just a dick Wynonna.”

The group fell quiet at that last comment as Nicole watched with growing fascination. Molly looked Wynonna dead in the eye.

“What no comeback?”

The dark haired woman looked genuinely shocked that Molly was speaking at all, and it took a moment before a smile formed that seemed to frighten the timid woman.

“That took some balls Molly, I’m proud of you.” Wynonna replied.

“Oh shut up Wynonna, like you are actually proud of her.” Chrissy retorted.

“You do realize genius, that this is the first time Molly has stood up for herself, so yeah it took guts and I call that progress.” Wynonna quipped.

Molly looked to Dr. Lopez for guidance.

“What inspired you to confront Wynonna?” The doctor asked.

“Honestly, It took so much to gain the confidence to finally go out on a date, which this group has helped tremendously with, and to hear Wynonna try to make fun of me pissed me off and I deserve better than that.”

“You do.”

Everyone turned to look at the newcomer who had just spoken.

“What the hell do you know, you’ve been here for like 10 seconds?” The blonde growled.

Nicole sat up in her chair a little straighter.

“Firstly, you are a bully. I expect it’s a defensive mechanism to deflect from your feelings of worthlessness. Your tone with Molly suggests jealousy over the fact she had a date, likely because you are here in part processing a failed marriage.” Nicole stated as she pointed to the tan line on Chrissy’s hand where a ring had recently been. 

She then turned to Wynonna and continued. “You really want people to think you're a dick because it’s easier than showing your softer side which you view as a weakness, but you feel guilt when your dickery has true consequences. You respect it when someone calls you out on your shit as evidenced by your reaction to Molly doing so.”

Finally Nicole turned to Molly. “Someone in your life made you feel less than, unlovable, and you believed it. But you had courage and walked through these doors and learned you were worthy of good things. I suspect your date went well which is what gave you the confidence to confront Wynonna just now.”

Nicole having said her peace slouched back down in her seat. 

“Well Red, since you seem to have all of this shit figured out, why are you even here?” Wynonna challenged.

“Fire”

“Fire?” Chrissy asked.

“Ooh I love fire!” Wynonna squealed.

“Fire has brought both joy and pain to my life and I am here to learn to cope with that shit.” Nicole responded.

“Mine too Red, mine too.” Wynonna said in a moment of seriousness.

The group spent a few more minutes processing what happened before ending. Nicole raced out of the room before anyone had a chance to catch her, elated over her upcoming not a date, but really wish it was one with Waverly that evening.

Waverly

Waverly arrived at the small house adjacent to the main inn at 6 sharp. She wasn’t sure what Nicole had in store for her, but she needed to keep the butterflies in her stomach in check tonight. Waverly was terrified she would say or do the wrong thing and scare Nicole even further away. Tonight, they would just be two friends hanging out, cooking dinner. Waverly shook the thought of a romantic candle lit dinner from her mind. 

She cradled the bottle of cabernet in her arms. She was about to knock when she saw a note taped to the door with her name written on the front. 

Waves  
Meet me in the big kitchen. I’ll be waiting for you.  
-Nic

The butterflies came back with avengence at the use of her nickname. She pulled the note from the door and headed up the landscaped pathway towards the back door that led to the kitchen. She passed through the kitchen garden that was now flush in hardy squash and pumpkins.   
She knocked twice before opening the door and she was greeted with the most delicious smells. Nicole had her back to Waverly at the stove, stirring something in a large stock pot. An apron was tied around her waist with a neat bow resting at the small of her back.

“Hey, stranger,” Waverly greeted Nicole as she turned around. 

Nicole’s face lit up.

“I’ve missed you. I hope you’re hungry because I’ve prepared a feast.”

Waverly sat on one of the stools at the bartop island. This was truly a chef’s kitchen. Sprawling granite countertops, the largest gas range Waverly had ever seen, and ceiling height mahogany cabinets gave it the gourmet look. Hidden lights glowed warmly behind the moulding at the top of the cabinetry. The effect was stunning. Waverly also noticed the new pendant lights Nicole had talked about a few weeks ago hanging above the island.

“Anything I can help with?” Waverly felt awkward. 

“You can pour us each a glass of wine.” Nicole smiled over her shoulder. “This should be done in no time.” 

They sat at the small table in the corner of the kitchen. Conversation had barely skimmed the surface, but it was pleasant and Waverly found herself relaxing as the evening progressed. 

Waverly was touched by the amount of detail and research Nicole had put into the dinner. There were three courses. First, Nicole brought out warm stuffed mushrooms that exploded with flavor in her mouth. 

After Nicole had cleared their plates, she brought out bowls of steaming minestrone soup and the most beautiful loaf of homemade bread. 

“Nicole looks incredible!”

“What?”

“What?” Waverly realizing her mistake, blushed instantly.

“I meant this looks incredible.”

“Sure, we’ll go with that.” Nicole said with a smirk.

“I find that there is nothing better than soup and homemade bread on a cold day.” She described how she made the crusty peasant bread in her dutch oven and how simple it was.

“See you’re not the only baker here,” she teased. 

The minestrone soup was vegetable broth based and it warmed Waverly from the inside. She was touched that Nicole would put this much effort into a dinner. However, there was a disconnect between what was being said and what was left unsaid. 

Suddenly Waverly could no longer stand the tension. 

“Nicole, I’m sorry if this is being too abrupt, but am I imagining things with us?”

Nicole set her spoon down and swallowed the bite of bread she had just taken. She shook her head slowly. 

“I’m the one that should be sorry, Waves,” she said softly. “You’re definitely not imagining things.” A faint smile played on her lips. “I need to be honest when I tell you I’m just not there yet...but I want to be.” She finished the statement almost whispering. 

Waverly could sense that she was afraid of her feelings, and if Waverly was also being honest, she was too. 

“Thank you, Nicole.” She took a deep breath. “How about we compromise then? How about we simply enjoy each other’s company and promise ourselves that that’ll be enough for now.”

“I’d like that very much. I wasn’t joking when I said I missed you, Waves. Your friendship means the world to me and I’m sorry if I was too wrapped up in myself this week to acknowledge you. It seems I’ve got a lot on my plate recently that I’m trying to work on.”

“Me too. And my sister isn’t helping matters.”

Nicole nodded. “How about we make dessert together?”

Waverly eagerly agreed. The brunette placed the dinner dishes in the sink while Nicole brought out the ingredients they would be using along with the stand mixer.   
Waverly noticed 100% dark chocolate, powdered sugar, coconut cream, and walnuts. 

“You’re not allergic to anything are you?”  
Waverly shook her head as they began to mix together the batter for no-bake brownies. 

The conversation took a playful turn when Nicole asked Waverly what she would be wearing to the Halloween party next week. 

“Well, I kind of low key love Sara Lance.” 

“You would look so good as her!” Nicole said, laughing. 

“How about you?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole looked slightly embarrassed, but finally she said, “I’ve always wanted to dress up as She-ra.”

Waverly squealed. 

“Oh my God I would die!” she exclaimed in a rush.

Finally, with the brownies made, Nicole measured out the coconut cream while Waverly slowly poured the powdered sugar into the stand mixer to make the icing. 

Nicole stuck her finger in the creamy mixture and held it up. 

“Taste test?”

Waverly put her lips around Nicole’s finger and slowly sucked to the tip. 

“It’s perfect.”

The brunette could not help but notice that the redhead’s pupils enlarged at the contact and her breathing quickened. Satisfied with the reaction, Waverly walked over to the sink leaving Nicole flushed.

The two women enjoyed their homemade dessert and Waverly had to suppress her yawns around 10:30 as the night was coming to a close. 

Nicole walked Waverly to the door.

“I’m so glad you came.”

Waverly was content and sleepy, finally feeling like she was in a good place with Nicole. 

“Thank you for making me the most wonderful dinner.” Waverly cooed. 

Nicole squeezed Waverly’s arm saying, “You’re welcome. We should do this again soon.”

“You can count on it.”

Waverly felt like she was floating on a cloud as she walked home, and not even the thought of going home to Wynonna was going to bring her down. 

Nicole

Nicole was dressed in full turnout gear weighing nearly 50 pounds for the test. She would have seven minutes to complete five stations. Though she had done this test every year for nearly a decade or some variation of it, she still had nervous butterflies dancing around her stomach. There were two other potential recruits with her today and the Chief himself was here. She suspected that she was the reason for his presence because it wasn’t everyday you had a Lieutenant testing to join the team. Nicole said a quick prayer and got ready to go.

Her first event was the stair climb. With a 58 pound hose draped over her shoulder she ascended the stairs at a quick clip. It didn’t take long for sweat to start burning her eyes as it dripped profusely off of her forehead. At the top she unloaded the hose in a red box and quickly descended making sure to hit every step so as not to be disqualified. Once out of the stair tower she walked briskly to the next station, pausing just a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow.

She made quick work of pulling the charged hose 75 feet, no easy task when it weighed 144 pounds. Her muscles ached having not been used in this capacity for some time, and she was already envisioning the hot bath she could not wait to soak in. 

Next up was the victim drag where she had to move a 175 pound dummy 100ft while walking backwards. Putting her arms under the mannequin and grabbing her forearms with her wrists she heaved it up into a near standing position and began to walk backwards. Halfway done she stumbled and lost her grip causing her to have to drag the dummy by both arms the rest of the way costing her precious time. She cursed under her breath upset with her mental lapse.

She made up some time on the next event which was carrying a 47 pound exhaust fan 150 feet. My God am I out of shape she thought as her forearms burned from the exertion. She took a deep breath as she made her way to the final event. Straddling a 150lbs steel beam known as a Keiser Force Machine, she struck it fast and furious with a shotmallet moving the beam the required five feet.

“Time!” The instructor shouted. 

Nicole dropped the mallet, her muscles spent. The other candidates and onlookers waited eagerly for her results. 

“Candidate Haught, you recorded a time of 4:15:23 to score in the 90 test band.” 

It wasn’t her best time, but considering she hadn’t done any firefighting for nearly a year, she took it as a win. Nicole sighed in relief as Chief Nedley came over to congratulate her. 

“Not bad, Lieutenant.”

“Thanks Chief.” The redhead replied. 

“Now go see O’Malley for your gear issue.”

“Yes Sir!”

Once she collected her new uniform items and pager she packed them into the truck and headed home. Despite being dead tired there was one last thing she wanted to do before getting a shower and bath. She walked into her house and went rummaging through one of the boxes yet unpacked. Finding what she was looking for, she went back out and opened her truck door. With a wide smile she mounted a blue emergency light on the dash. She couldn’t wait to tell Waverly the good news.

Waverly

Waverly hadn’t seen Nicole in almost a full 24 hours and her text messages this morning had gone unread. After the conversation they had last night, she was giddy, but reserved herself to continue growing their friendship into something deeper. All morning she resisted the urge to pop by Nicole’s cottage with a plate of baked goods, telling herself that it hadn’t even been 12 hours since they last saw each other. 

Finally, at 7pm, she felt like she was going to burst with all the pent up anxiety she was feeling over not having heard from the redhead. Rationalizing, Waverly thought to just pop by with a bottle of wine and see how the other woman was doing. There was no harm in that. Picking out her best red blend from her wine cabinet, she pulled on her oversized sweater and matching scarf. The wine was cradled in the crook of her elbow as she made her way down the sidewalk to Nicole’s. 

She let herself in after Nicole didn’t answer the door. Waverly could hear water running from the bathroom, so she decided to wait on the couch until Nicole was done. She rationalized that she could leave the bottle of wine on the counter and go, but she wanted to make sure Nicole was okay after her radio silence today. Was she thinking too hard about this? 

While she was fighting with herself over whether to stay or go, she noticed two things. The first was all of the firefighter turnout gear splayed all over the couch that she was about to sit on. The second thing she noticed was how much the turnout gear turned her on. Waverly found herself picturing Nicole, sexy Nicole, in uniform and Waverly felt herself almost melt into a pile on the floor. She could feel the heat of desire churn in the bottom of her stomach. Hearing a gasp, she turned around. 

In her daydream, she hadn’t heard the water turn off or the bathroom door open. Nicole stood before her, naked except for the microscopic towel she had wrapped around her torso. She was drying her hair with another towel, staring at Waverly with wide eyes. 

“Surprise, I brought wine,” Waverly said, holding up the wine by the neck of the bottle. “Although maybe I should’ve brought a bottle of champagne?” Waverly prayed to whoever was listening that her legs would hold her up, because she was in serious danger of collapsing in front of this beauty. 

“It seems like we both are full of surprises today. In fact, after my shower I was going to come find you and tell you the good news.”

Waverly waited expectantly, thankfully still upright. 

“I took the test to become a firefighter and I passed.”

Waverly smiled brightly at the news.  
“You’re looking at the newest member of the volunteer fire department, Pinecliff’s finest.” Nicole beamed.

“Yeah you are.” Waverly teased.

Nicole’s eyes went wide at the comment as color rose to her face.

The humbleness that Nicole was showing almost brought Waverly to tears. In that moment, Waverly knew how intrinsically good Nicole was, and that she would do anything, anything, to keep her in her life. 

Nicole

Nicole and Waverly enjoyed some fine wine and laughter as the redhead recounted her physical fitness test earlier that day. It did not go unnoticed by her that Waverly more than once bit her lower lip as she described the different scenarios she had faced. Seeing the woman’s reaction was making Nicole a little hot under the collar if she was being honest. She had dated both firefighters and civilians, but none had made her feel so happy about the choice she made in being a firefighter. Sure there was the obvious attraction to the gear and muscles, but Waverly was genuinely excited for her about the job itself.

“I’m so excited for you!” Waverly exclaimed.

“Thanks.”

“I’m sure you’re happy to be back doing something you love.”

“I am. I don’t think I realized how much I missed it until today.” Nicole smiled, lost in reminiscing.

“Why did you quit before?” Waverly inquired.

Nicole’s face flickered quickly between competing emotions. She was not ready to talk about that yet, but she also didn’t want to keep shutting Waverly out. The brunette must have sensed her struggle because she reached out and placed her hand on Nicole’s thigh in a reassuring manner. 

“Hey, it’s okay if you're not ready to talk about that yet, just know I will be here for you if and when you ever are.” Waverly said giving the redhead’s thigh a little squeeze.

Nicole looked up at the woman with such appreciation and heartfelt gratitude. How did I get so lucky to cross paths with this woman, she thought to herself. 

“Thanks.” Nicole whispered, placing her hand over Waverly’s. The two women stayed like that a moment before the brunette spoke.

“So when am I gonna see you in all this fancy gear?” Waverly used her other hand to motion toward the firefighting clothing now laid upon Nicole’s bed.

“You want a fashion show?” Nicole tilted her head slightly while a smirk formed. The brunette seemed to blush at the suggestion.

“I um…” Waverly was at a loss for words, causing the redhead to chuckle.

Nicole then stood up and sauntered towards the bed. She made a show of slowly slipping the pants up over her sweats, then sliding the suspenders in place over the tank top she was wearing. Next she threw the overcoat on and placed her bare feet in the boots. With a knowing grin she grabbed her helmet and secured it to her head while mimicking a model’s walk down the runway, moving slowly toward Waverly before pivoting towards the bed and retreating. Once back where she started, she turned around and struck a pose.

“Good God where’s an axe when you need one!” Waverly mouthed breathlessly.

“Maybe next time.” Nicole winked at the blushing woman.

Nicole took off all her gear and the two settled into light conversation, both so comfortable in each other's presence, they did not want to call it a night. Sleepiness eventually took over and Nicole walked Waverly home, stopping at the entrance to her apartment and placing a quick kiss upon her cheek before descending the stairs.

Waverly

She woke up with a start, drenched in sweat. Waverly still felt the flames licking and curling around her skin, white hot. She was trapped, trying to scream but smoke filled her lungs. The nightmares that plagued her were never as vivid as they had been last night. No matter how many times she dreamed of being in a fire, she would never find comfort in knowing it was a dream. When she was asleep it felt all too real. 

Waverly gathered up her sweaty hair and knotted it while looping an elastic around it to secure the bun. Walking straight to the coffee press, she could hear Wynonna stirring on the couch. 

“You look like shit.”

Wynonna was never one to mince words, Waverly thought. 

“Yeah, well, if I could get one night of gosh darn sleep, that’d be just peachy,” she said with a little more attitude than she intended. 

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Wynonna muttered and pulled the blankets up over her face. 

“Damnit, Wy! You try having a recurring nightmare and see how you feel in the morning!”

Her sister removed the blanket covering her face. “What kind of nightmare?” 

“I dunno. I’m always trapped in some building. There is a lot of fire and I know I’m going to die. Like, in my bones I can just feel it.”

Waverly’s shoulders sagged and she felt herself on the verge of tears, but she would not cry in front of her sister. It was just a nightmare, nothing she couldn’t handle by herself. She’d felt so alone for most of her life. 

“Strange nightmare.”

Waverly poured hot water over the grounds as she watched the gears turning in Wynonna’s mind. She had always known her sister to have a poker face, but currently it was betraying hidden thoughts. 

“Wy?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you ever wonder about Willa?”

“Willa who?”

Waverly shot Wynonna a glare.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m kidding. I mean, I guess I do. On occasion,” she said nonchalantly.

Waverly poured the steaming black liquid into her favorite mug. 

“I think about her almost everyday, although I don't ever talk about her. Too much to explain. Or nothing at all to explain because I don’t know what happened. I thought we were so close as kids. You two fought a lot, but I really thought Willa was my best friend as a little girl. I remember the barn at the farm burnt down and then she just disappeared like she never even cared.”

“Look, baby girl, we don’t have to dredge up the past. It happened, we can’t change it, end of story. I’m sure Willa had some reason as to why she just up and poofed. But we may never know that so there’s no sense in wondering.”

The investigator, the researcher, in Waverly could tell that there was more. She felt it in the pit of her stomach but she wasn’t sure how far to push Wynonna. They had never been close so the chances of extracting any information from her sister would be next to impossible. Waverly made a mental note to find out what Wynonna had been up to for all these years. She didn’t know what Wynonna did for a living and hell, she didn’t even really know what town she lived in. She was evasive about everything to everyone. Maybe she could even find information leading her to Willa. A phone number, an address, something. 

Wynonna cleared her throat. “So I gotta say, I had ulterior motives when I came here.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Waverly said to herself.

“Anyway, so I know you said no before, but how would you feel about selling the estate?” Wynonna held up both of her hands as Waverly went to interrupt her. “A part of the estate? I know, I know. You said no last time. But that was at the funeral. I know my timing wasn’t great then, you know, when we were literally burying Gus and all.”

“Why would I do that, Wynonna?”

Waverly could barely believe the words coming from Wynonna’s mouth. 

“Hear me out though. I know it was never your dream to run this place in this hell hole of a town. Maybe at the funeral you were blinded by the fact that Gus had just died. But now you’d be leaving on a high note with money in your pocket to go back to school or do whatever it is you want. You wouldn’t be tethered here.”

Waverly sighed and set down her coffee cup. Pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, she said through gritted teeth, “No. This is all I have left. I can't. Family comes first, Wynonna, and if you understood that, you'd know why I can't sell.”

Wynonna seemed to be at war with herself. She had gotten off the couch and she looked uncomfortably jittery.

"You are selfish and greedy. You only want your percentage of the sale," Waverly spat.

“Babygirl, cut the dramatics. I'm just trying to do what's best for you.”

“How do you know what's best for me? After Willa left, you grew up and left too! You have no idea who I am anymore.”

“I had good reason for leaving. What I do know is that you don’t belong here in this podunk shithole! You were living your dream life in Ottawa. Even though you didn’t talk to me, Gus would and so would Shorty. I would ask about you, you know.”

"You think I had a dream life? I was struggling through my classes at university. I was wondering how I'd get to class and my full time job at a restaurant just off campus. I barely got my internship."

"You've had it way easier than me. No one expected me to go off to college or even get a decent 9 to 5. You were the sister that was going to do great things and I don't want to see you waste it."

"I can't even believe we're having this conversation. What's easier than skipping out of high school to go party? You didn't have a care in the world and you didn't give a shit what anyone said. You defied Mom and Dad every step of the way and even when we spent the summers with Aunt Gus, you were always too cool to hang out. You'd go smoke and drink with the older kids."

Wynonna shrugged. "Guess I had a reputation to uphold."

"Well, whatever you want to call it, it looked effortless."

"Well, babygirl, I'm paying for it now."

"How do you mean?" Waverly asked.

Wynonna sighed and folded her arms across her chest. 

"I don't have a great education to fall back on, so shitty jobs are all I know. John is doing the best he can, but we are trying to make ends meet." For once, she was doing her best to be honest. 

"Always about money, isn't it, Wy? So you and John are having money problems and you come to me, expecting me to sell everything for you?"

"Well I've done enough for you!" Wynonna blurted.

"Goddamit, Waverly. You’ve been shielded your whole life from reality. You have no idea what Willa and I went through as kids. Please, if you don’t want to listen to anything I have to say, hear this: you are destined for great things, babygirl. And you are the best person in this fucked up family so I will do anything it takes to see you succeed.” 

Waverly was taken aback. On one hand, Wyonna was the most transparent that Waverly had ever seen her. However, Wynonna was a master saboteur and Waverly didn’t want to start trusting her now. Had this been Waverly’s dream? No. She never wanted to be a business owner. But she could not yet admit that aloud, to her sister or herself.

“Wynonna, I think we both need some space right now. I’m going to go take a nice long, hot shower. I’m asking you very politely to not be in this apartment when I get out.”

Before waiting for a reply, Waverly removed herself from the living room. It felt like the walls were closing in on her. She was finally in a decent spot in her life and Wynonna always found a way to undermine that. 

Within about twenty minutes, Waverly thought she heard the apartment door open and close, and when she was done with her shower, she ventured out to the living room that was mercifully empty. 

Nicole

The next morning, Nicole was up before first light despite the long evening, full of energy and pep. She had some finishing touches to complete before the party tomorrow and a group session in the afternoon. She was waiting on the last item for her costume to arrive and then she would get to relax she hoped, and spend some time with her favorite person.   
Walking into the house kitchen she spotted Michelle and inquired about the well being of Champ. She was happy to learn he was released from the hospital and on the mend. She had utilized the woman to the best of her ability with the party planning to give her extra hours, knowing the struggles the young couple was facing. It gave Nicole peace of mind, given her new responsibilities.

Once Nicole had finished with the to do list for Michelle and helped her with some of the last minute decorations, she took a quick shower and headed to group therapy.

Dr. Lopez wasted no time diving back into the subject Nicole had brought up during the last session. 

“Nicole, last time we were here you talked briefly about how fire has brought both joy and pain into your life. Can you give the group an example of when fire has brought you joy?”

Nicole fidgeted nervously for a moment, uncomfortable with being the center of attention before speaking.

“When I was nine years old, my father took me camping. It was just him and I surrounded by nature. We went hiking, fishing, and swimming at the base of a waterfall. That weekend I learned how to pitch a tent, read a map, and build a fire. He made me use a hand drill which, if you don’t know, takes forever. He was so patient and encouraging, when I was ready to give up and started crying. It was nearly dark by the time I got it lit and we were starving by then. After supper, we made smores and he told me stories. It was the start of a tradition. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I understood he was teaching me patience and self reliance, building my confidence and independence on all those trips to the woods.” Nicole recalled.

“Thank you for sharing that Nicole. Does anyone else have something they would like to add.” Dr. Lopez asked. 

“My favorite memory concerning fire is my father dressed up as Santa in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve, reading The Night Before Christmas. It was special because he almost always got called out to a fire, December being one of their busiest months, leaving me to be carted off to the neighbors. Those few times he was able to perform this ritual was extra special because of that.” Chrissy shared.

Nicole’s eyebrow arched while Chrissy told her story. 

“Your father’s a firefighter?” Nicole asked.

“He’s the Chief.” Chrissy responded.

“Oh.” Nicole was now a little more concerned with what she might share in this group. She knew it was supposed to be confidential, but she didn’t know these people well enough to trust them yet.

“Fire can be beautiful. The way the flames breathe and groan, vivid orange and blue hues dancing, crawling, growing.” Wynonna spoke mostly to herself.

“We get it you firebug, no need to rehash your obsession.” Molly quipped.

“Well, I’m new here so I would love to hear Wynonna’s story.” Nicole questioned with great curiosity.

“Ugh, Wynonna set her barn on fire as a kid, nearly killing her older sister.” Chrissy spat.

“Chrissy, let Wynonna speak for herself.” Dr. Lopez gently reminded her.

Wynonna made direct eye contact with Nicole searching her face for signs of judgement but saw none. She inhaled deeply while pondering what to say.

“This whole damn town thinks they know what happened. At this point it doesn’t even matter what the truth is, because nobody would believe it anyway. So think what you want Chrissy, I’ve nothing to prove to any of you.” Wynonna scoffed. 

“I don’t have any preconceived notions about you Wynonna. I would like to hear your version.” Nicole implored. She didn’t know why yet, but she felt it important to get Wynonna to talk about this as it clearly was a sore spot for her, and if she was being honest, Nicole felt drawn to the broody woman for some reason.

“What’s there to tell Red? The whole town thinks I tried to kill my sister Willa and my baby sister hates me for it. Though all I was trying to do was protect her.” 

“How were you protecting her?” Nicole prodded.

“If she knew how the fire really started and what happened to Willa, it would crush her. It’s easier to play the villain than destroy my sister.” Wyonna whispered. 

“I thought Willa ran away?” Molly asked.

“Look I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Wynonna said defensively.

“Then we won’t.” Nicole stated.

Wynonna gave the redhead an appreciative nod as Dr. Lopez steered the group in another direction.

When the session was over, Nicole walked to the post office and picked up her package, she had a few short hours left before the party began and much still to accomplish. Her heart was lighter having spoken about her father for the first time in awhile. 

Tonight was going to be great, meeting the townsfolk and seeing Waverly as Sara Lance. It was with these thoughts she ambled back to the Inn, unaware of just how wrong she would be.


	4. Ignition

The Party

The jack-o-lanterns gave off a soft glow from their ghoulish faces, illuminating the porch as Waverly walked up the front steps of The Inn at PineCliff. A soundtrack of eerie noises played from well hidden speakers adding to the spooky ambiance.   
Inside the rooms were each decked out in a specific theme. A sign reading Salem’s Lot dangled from a nail in the living room, dry ice spewed a smokey haze. Well placed brooms and an employee dressed as a witch served a signature brew with a floating eyeball completing the scene.

The dining room was transformed into a graveyard featuring tombstones, drinks with a bone shaped straw and a skeleton serving small clear cups of dirtcake. Although Waverly had helped in the preparations she was still taken aback by the imagination and effort that would seamlessly transport the guests into each theme as they mingled through the rooms.

She had arrived early to help Nicole with the final details, carrying her costume in a garment bag. Waverly found the woman in the kitchen putting the final touches on their gift bags for all of the attendees. Inside were homemade cookies from Waverly’s shop, halloween candy, mini pumpkin pies crafted by Nicole and her staff, and coupons for both the Inn and Stagecoach Coffee.   
Waverly draped the garment bag over a chair and helped the redhead assemble the last ones. Once finished, Nicole grabbed Waverly’s hand and the garment bag, escorting her upstairs.

Nicole unlocked a private entrance leading into a sitting room with a sofa, chair, coffee table and small desk. She noticed the woman beside her taking it all in.

“What do you think?

“Nicole, it’s beautiful. I love the color, what is it?”   
“Well, I was limited on what I could choose given the fact the Inn is a historical landmark. It’s called Calico, I guess it's grayish, bluish, green??” Nicole shrugged. 

“Well I love it.” 

“There’s more, follow me.” Nicole said as she guided Waverly up another set of stairs, stopping briefly in a hallway to hang up the garment bag in a closet next to her costume and the turnout gear she had brought into the main house because she was technically on call.

Nicole then stepped into the bedroom located in the luxury suite.

Waverly slowly ran her hand over the intricate wood carvings on the Second Empire bed in the room. It’s rich dark wood providing a nice contrast to the wall color. A matching mantle over the fireplace complimented the design and left her in awe. Nicole smiled at the woman’s reaction and then opened the door to the ensuite. Inside the white room were double sinks, a stand alone shower with multi jets and glass doors, and a hydro massage tub for two and a heated tile floor. The brunette waved her hand around the room, her face distorted into a mischievous grin. 

“Is all of this historically accurate?”

“Probably not, since in 1874, indoor plumbing was virtually non-existent, but some sacrifices must be made in the name of cleanliness and comfort Waves.” Nicole winked as she led the woman back out of the room.

“Here’s a key. Feel free to get ready in here or hide out from the guests. I’ve got to change into my costume and get back downstairs to greet the early birds.”

Waverly sat down on the bed, surprised by its comfort.

“Or take a nap.” She said as she sprawled out on top of the comforter. 

“Or that.” Nicole laughed.

While Waverly made herself at home, Nicole grabbed her costume and accessories from the hallway closet and disappeared behind the bathroom door to begin her transformation.  
Waverly was playing around on her phone when she heard the bathroom door swing open. The first thing she noticed was the voluminous blonde wig with golden crown perched atop her head. Her jaw dropped as her eyes roved south, taking in the small white skort, with She-ra’s trademark crest emblazoned on the torso. Nicole had legs for days that were only accentuated more by the white and gold boots. 

“So you like?” Nicole said with a half smile. She twirled and the bright red cape swirled around her.

“Oh, I say I absolutely love it! Nicole you look amazing!”

“Thank you! Okay, I should get down there.” Nicole cast another look down at her costume. “Nothing is hanging out right? I’m all tucked in?” Nicole fidgeted with the cleavage the dress gave her. Making sure she wasn’t going to have any wardrobe malfunctions was paramount.

“Oh, honey, don’t worry. I’d definitely tell you if anything was out of place,” Waverly said as she winked at the new blonde.

Nicole laughed and it was rich and warm. It made Waverly’s anxiety over the past couple days simply melt away. 

“I’ll see you down in a bit?”

“I’ll start getting dressed soon. I just want to soak up a little bit more of this luxurious room first.”

“That’s allowed,” Nicole said as she touched up her lip gloss and then exited the room, leaving Waverly to get ready alone. 

She would have loved to stay, but as the hostess, she thought it would be seen as rude if she was not attentive and available to greet her guests.   
A rotund middle aged woman came through the door, her head on a swivel looking at all of the decorations. Even with the terrible witch costume devoid of a hat, Nicole could tell that it was Bunny Loblaw. Nicole had made sure to invite the entirety of Pinecliff’s town council to show them that she would be a prominent business owner in this town. Bunny was the town treasurer. As Nicole walked towards her, she wondered how the woman had teased her hair so high. 

“Bunny!” she exclaimed. “I’m so glad that you were able to make it! Please, make yourself at home. If there is anything I can get for you, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“What is this distasteful costume supposed to be?” The councilwoman said with disdain, pointing at the short skort that made up Nicole’s outfit.

“She-ra,” she responded with a questioning look.

“Is that some lesbian?”

“What she is, is a strong female role model,” Nicole spat back at the hateful woman.

“If you say so. Doesn’t do much for a first impression though,” Bunny replied with a fake smile plastered to her green painted face. The fake wart at the tip of her nose twitched. 

“Neither do you. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Nicole responded spinning quickly in the opposite direction, her sword striking the old hag in the thigh.

“OOWW!” 

Nicole smiled at the dramatic sound Bunny Loblaw made as she exited the room, looking for Waverly. She didn’t have the patience nor was she going to be pushed around by the likes of Bunny.   
As if on cue, Nicole looked up the grand staircase at Waverly á la Sara Lance. Waverly had donned her own long blonde wig and the white bodysuit fit her like a glove and did things to Nicole that she didn’t yet want to admit. Waverly beamed at the redhead as she descended the stairs. 

“Do I look like I’m about to go kick ass and take names?”

“Waves, you could knock me over with a feather right now,” Nicole joked. 

“Aw, thanks! Should we go make rounds?”   
Waverly snaked her arm through Nicole’s and led her through the guests. The party was in full swing. They bumped into Bunny again, much to Nicole’s dismay. 

“And what are you? Seriously, millennials have no sense of decency nowadays. What happened to modest costumes? You look like a--”

“Bunny, it’s always been a pleasure. Now if you’ll excuse us we have more important guests to attend to,” Waverly interrupted the woman with a fake smile and the same condescending attitude Bunny constantly used. 

Bunny looked aghast that anyone would dare speak to her in that manner. 

“You Earps! And here I thought you were the best one of the bunch...although that’s not saying much.”

“And we’re going now,” Nicole said steering a visibly shaken Waverly. 

“Thank you! Ugh! Bunny was about to get herself a bitch slap if you didn’t get me out of there.”  
Nicole laughed. 

“Come on, I think I saw Rachel somewhere around here and I’d like to say hi.”

They meandered through the party, sometimes splitting up so that Nicole could run to the kitchen to check on the status of the finger foods and the deserts being served. All and all, Nicole felt a sense of success for the evening and it was one of the first times that she truly felt as though she belonged here in PineCliff.

61 Holiday Dr.

Night had fallen in PineCliff, dark and overcast with a slight wind that rustled the remaining leaves still on the trees. In the distance a dog could be heard barking as a hooded figure smashed a small square window pane embedded in the back door of a white two story farmhouse just on the edge of town. The intruder then unlatched the lock and crept inside. 

The premises had just been vacated last week, the renters moving to the countryside for the fresh air and wide open spaces. Once deeper into the home, the figure removed the hood, revealing long hair with a radiant sheen. The intruder slowly walked through the rooms, each bringing back memories they’d sooner forget. Determination set in and they climbed the stairs with purpose and went directly to the last bedroom at the end of the long narrow hallway. The hinges squeaked as the door was pushed back, revealing a quaint room with a big window facing the woods. Without furniture, the intruder’s steps echoed as they moved about the room, sliding back the closet door to reveal a lone hanger left behind. 

Looking down at the wood floor in the closet she could just make out a name etched in the corner. This was never home, only a refuge from the chaos that constantly brewed beneath her own roof. The name not theirs, but of another who was despised by the intruder for what she was spared, and they had to endure. The home is long gone, leaving only this place as the last true tether to that old life. The only space which still held memories they could recall. 

Taking off the backpack strapped against them, a few items were removed before slung back over the shoulder. A rage slowly built until it could be contained no longer, a lighter flickered to life, a cloth now aflame. With a feral cry that could wake the undead the intruder lifted the liquid filled bottle in their left hand and hurled it against the wall. Instantly flames dripped down the wall splashing against the wood floor, angrily consuming the fuel around it. With a satisfied smirk, the intruder put the hood back in place and calmly left the residence.

The Party

Two hours in, the party seemed to be a rousing success. Waverly and Nicole flitted in and out of the rooms, often together making sure the guests were having a good time and networking with the heads of many local businesses. The town seemed to embrace the redhead’s ideas for the future of her Inn and their participation in those endeavors. Well all but that stick in the mud Bunny Loblaw. Nicole didn’t know what her problem was but she had been throwing shade at both of the women throughout the evening. It was getting wearisome and Nicole was unsure if she was going to be able to keep her composure if the ugly woman kept up the jabs. She needed a breather.

Outside for some fresh air, Nicole sat on the stoop, her sword clanking when it made contact with the cement. The light breeze felt nice against her bare skin. She was lost in thought when she heard the door open behind her. Scooching next to her, Waverly put her hand on Nicole’s exposed leg.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I was about to put Bunny in a chokehold so I thought it best to leave the room for a minute.”

“She does bring out the best in people.”

Waverly leaned against Nicole for a moment, the redhead placed a tender kiss on the top of her head.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” the brunette murmured into the side of Nicole’s neck. The warm breath against her sensitive skin sent a shiver through the redhead. She pulled away and put her hand under the other woman’s chin, pulling it up slightly and looking directly into her compassionate eyes.

“For this, for all of this Waves. I never would have been able to pull off the party without you. I never would have completed the renovations in time. You make me feel that all things are possible in your presence.”

At this statement the brunette lit up and smiled. 

“May I kiss you?” Nicole asked with confidence.

Waverly nodded her head in approval and the tall woman leaned in brushing her lips softly against the other woman’s, eliciting a quiet moan.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

“Shit.”

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The kiss would go no further. Nicole looked apologetically at Waverly, helping her up.

“I’ve got to go.” 

“I know. I’ve got this.” Waverly motioned towards the ongoing party.

Nicole squeezed her hand in thanks, pulling open the door while retrieving the beeper hidden in her costume to read what the emergency was. She raced up the stairs to the suite, quickly changing out of her costume and into her turnout gear. Every minute counted in a fire. Grabbing her helmet and keys, she ran back down the stairs nearly taking out Bunny Loblaw at the bottom.

“Ugh”

“Sorry.”

“Sweetie, this costume just makes you look like one of The Village People.” The plump woman said, shaking her head.

“Fuck off Bunny.” Nicole retorted pushing past the woman.

Waverly couldn’t help but snicker at the comment as she took sight of Nicole.

“Um, honey.” Waverly squeaked, pointing to her head.

Nicole placed her hand on her scalp quickly realizing she was still in the blonde wig. She hurriedly pulled the pins holding it in place out and stripped off the wig and tousled her hair before handing the items to Waverly. 

“Thanks!” 

“Go save some lives my Haughtie!” Waverly put her hand on the redhead’s shoulder pushing up on her tip toes and placed a quick kiss on the woman’s full lips.

Nicole blushed.

“Disgusting!” Bunny said as she clutched her chest.

“Fuck off Bunny!” They both said in unison before Nicole continued out the door towards danger.

Waverly

Seeing her sexy woman leave the party in her turnout gear made Waverly immeasurably proud. She knew she would never be able to do what Nicole was about to do. Heading into a dangerous situation with no hint of hesitation. Waverly found that confidence and bravery to be the traits she was coming to love about Nicole. 

There was a lump in her throat as she watched the taillights of the truck fade into the distance down the road. She swallowed it because Nicole needed her and was relying on her to carry through with the party. It needed to be a success if Nicole wanted to win the support of the town. Waverly knew Nicole was well liked, even if Nicole couldn’t yet see it herself. 

She bounded up the couple of stairs, back to the party that was in full swing. People were dropping small slips of paper into a cauldron that was being held by a life sized butler skeleton. The costume contest would be judged shortly and the guests had until 10 to cast votes. 

Waverly fluttered around the different rooms. She ran into the mayor, who was in deep conversation with Captain Hook. 

“So glad you could make it, Mercedes,” Waverly said as Captain Hook left for the drink station. 

“I’m glad to be here, Waverly. Where is our lady of the hour?”

“She was called out to a fire so I’m interim host. If there is anything that needs attention, I’m your gal.”

“I think this is the party of the year! I’m very intrigued with the book club and mystery dinner ideas I heard about. Have Nicole call me soon because I would just love to pick her brain about other ideas.”

Waverly squealed in excitement. “She will be thrilled when I tell her that!” 

The women hugged and Waverly made her exit. It was time to count the votes for the costume contest. 

Waverly took the caldron to the kitchen to tally the votes where there was a clear winner. As she was unfolding the squares of paper one made her actually laugh out loud. In looped handwriting was Bunny’s name. She had clearly voted for herself.   
No chance in hell, Bunny, Waverly thought. Luckily there was only one vote for her. 

Waverly made her way to the grand dining room where she turned down the music to get everyone’s attention. 

“Hi everyone! I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for being here,” Waverly began. “I know many of you have had the chance to meet the hostess and the new owner of this historic inn and she is just thrilled to have all of you here. Without further adieu, I was tasked with tallying the votes for the costume contest!”

There was a cheer among the guests that had gathered in the room. Waverly opened the piece of paper she had written the winner’s name on. 

“And the winner is...the Red Queen!” Waverly began to clap as the crowd cheered for the woman making her way towards the front of the room.

“Congratulations! You look marvelous! You have won a two night stay for you and a guest!”

Waverly hugged the woman who looked genuinely surprised. 

It didn’t go unnoticed that Bunny Loblaw was sulking in the corner. 

The rest of the party went off without a hitch, although Waverly had to field questions as to Nicole’s disappearance from her own party. Waverly made sure to personally thank all of the guests as they slowly trickled out. She even kept a neutral face as Bunny left; she was proud of maintaining her composure. 

She couldn’t help thinking about Nicole, though. She sent up a silent prayer to whoever was listening to look after the woman who was becoming her world. 

Nicole 

Nicole’s truck came to a screeching halt in the parking lot of the fire department. Two volunteers had already started up the engine and begun the checklist. She greeted the two men as she grabbed her SBA, hopped into one of the back seats and strapped on her helmet. They would be the first truck to arrive and access the situation. Without further delay, they pulled away from the station.

Despite the dark night, Nicole could seem the plume of smoke billowing from the structure though she was still a mile away. That was not a good sign. It meant the fire was in full swing and had plenty of fuel. Readying herself for the task ahead, Nicole mentally prepared for the many scenarios that she could face.

The engine pulled up in front of what looked to be a two story farmhouse. From what she could see, the out buildings were still untouched and she planned to keep it that way. Dan uncoiled the hose while Marty uncapped the nearest fire hydrant. They hooked up, dragging the hose towards the front entrance and charged the line. They quickly repeated these steps with a second line near the back of the home. 

In the distance she could hear the second engine wailing, a quick assessment of the situation revealed they would need more help so she made the call for more assistance.

The fire seemed to be burning hottest towards the back of the home and until more crew arrived it was unsafe to attempt entry into the building. There were no immediate signs of occupancy which made Nicole feel a little less stressed. She kept Marty at the front while she and Dan went to work on the back. There was not much she could do until the ladder truck arrived but nonetheless the two firefighters opened the stream, spraying water all along the back wall.

As more firefighters arrived on scene, Nicole moved back to the front of the building to give instructions. Though new to the department, she was far from green and the men looked up to her for guidance. After assigning each team a sector, she put on her Self Breathing Apparatus and prepared to enter the home. The ladder company had made headway on cooling the fire to make it safer to attempt to get inside.

Arsonist

The dark clad figure could feel the heat even from this distance. The large flames licking up into the night sky. It was beautiful and tragic just the same. The arsonist watched as other fire trucks arrived on scene for what they hoped was a futile attempt to save the home. The arsonist could see a tall firefighter giving out orders and pointing in various directions. Careful not to be seen, they slowly disappeared into the wood line to continue to watch the show.

Nicole

The lead man breached the door, each team member behind him had a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of them. It was imperative to stick together and not get lost in the chaos. Nicole was bringing up the rear.

Inside the first floor, thick black smoke hung in the air, it was a darkness like no other. The light attached to her helmet, did little to illuminate her surroundings. No visible flames could be seen in the front rooms, but as they made their way back to the kitchen, a gaping hole could be seen above them where fire had penetrated from upstairs. 

Flames danced across the ceiling and licked the walls, her team opened up the line and sprayed down the walls and up into the hole. A quick look around indicated this was vacant home, with nothing atop the counters, making Nicole breathe a sigh of relief. After several minutes, the temperature in the room dropped indicating some success in their efforts. Confident they still had a chance to save the building, the team headed towards the staircase next to the hallway. After checking the structural integrity of the stairs, they inched their way up making it to the landing up at the top. The heat was intense. They were careful as they checked the first room upstairs, the threat of a backdraft very real. Once the door was opened it revealed rolling flames against the ceiling. Nicole knew this was not a good sign. The same thing was present in the second room they checked, with flame intrusion along the walls as well. The collapse of the roof became a real concern and with disappointment, she gave the signal for the men to fall back. A home could be rebuilt, but her men had but one life and she was not going to risk their safety.

Once outside, the team went into a defensive firefighting posture, hosing down the nearby buildings and woods due to ember cast and the ladder team continued to feed water into the second floor. Nicole walked back to the truck she had ridden in and took a swig of water from a bottle. She took her helmet off and wiped the sweat from her brow. Across the street beneath a streetlight was a lone figure in a black fringed leather coat, staring at the scene before them. With her helmet tucked under her arm, Nicole strode towards the figure with purpose.

“What are you doing here Wynonna?”

“Nothing, just watching my Aunt’s house burn to the ground….well technically my sister’s house now.”

“You still live in the neighborhood?”

“Not since I left at 16.” Wynonna said matter of factly.

Fire draws spectators, but on this night Wynonna was one of only a handful and seemed strangely out of place given the others were residents from nearby homes, still Nicole felt for the woman.  
“Well we are trying our best, but it doesn’t look promising.”

“I know you all are, thank you for trying just the same.” 

Nicole noticed a hint of pain behind the woman’s eyes. She dismissed herself to get back to the task at hand. An hour into the fight, Chief Nedley showed up on scene. He had been out of town and had gotten here as quick as he could. 

“What’s the situation Lieutenant Haught?”

“Frankly Sir, the situation is balls. Looks like it is going to be a total loss.”

“That’s most unfortunate. Any indication of what started it yet?”

“No, but it burned fast and hot upstairs. With your permission, I would like to make an assessment when safe to do so.”

“Do you know who owns this house Haught?”  
“A bystander said this house is her sister’s home, but used to be their Aunt’s.”

Chief Nedley quickly eyed the woman, but saw nothing to indicate she knew what that statement meant.

“My dear, this is your friend Waverly’s house. I was very good friends with her late Aunt Gus, God rest her soul. Your bystander would be her sister Wynonna.” Nedely revealed.

“I didn’t know that.” Nicole uttered in a state of shock.

Nicole could not fully process the information she had just been given. This was Waverly’s house? The brunette had never mentioned owning a house, just the Stagecoach building. She wondered why. Bigger still was the fact that Wynonna was Waverly’s sister. It felt odd to know things about Waverly that she was unaware of through the group sessions she attended with her sister. There was no way to talk about it with the brunette because Nicole took confidentiality seriously, but it did make her uneasy.

Nicole was now more determined than ever to find out the cause of this fire. It was nearing 1am and they had made good progress on the fire, but would have a crew out here all night for potential flare ups. Nicole was eager to get in the structure to start her investigation, so grabbing her equipment, she painstakingly and methodically worked the scene.

The stairs were still intact and fairly safe to ascend. She was desperate to get to the back room where she suspected the fire had started. The damage was widespread in the home, but the brunt of it occurred in the back half of the house. Nicole took photos, measurements and gas reading along the way. There were holes in the hallway floor where fire had burned through and she knew that in any other investigation she would have already turned around due to safety and wait for first light and better equipment. Nicole though was being led by emotion and not common sense so she pushed forward.

Making her way to the back room, utter devastation awaited. It was difficult to see, the outside providing no light and blackness reigning indoors. Her headlamp was bright, but limited. The floor in this last bedroom was missing in several spots. Through one of the holes, she spotted the kitchen below. Where the back wall of the room had been, she could see forest. Surprisingly the window was still mostly intact despite the fact that half of the wall and the roof in this part was missing. 

Carefully, Nicole sifted through debris on the floor, bagging items. She felt something round and pointy, lifting it up to her light. Glass was on the floor from the window, but this was not the same color nor thickness. In fact it looked very much like the bottom of a broken blue bottle of some sort. She bagged it for analysis. Her evidence secured in her bag, she looked around one last time before walking back toward the door and then the floor gave way.


	5. Growth

Waverly

It was close to midnight by the time all the guests left. The few staff members working the party were finishing their rounds, picking up empty cups and discarded food. Waverly excused herself and made her way up to the suite where she could change out of her costume. Being Sara Lance had been a wicked amount of fun and the look on Nicole’s face had been completely priceless. The white and silver bodysuit had given her a large boost of confidence, but she was glad Nicole had made the first move. The kiss, although short, felt like magic and sent electricity coursing through her veins. 

She sat at the desk to unpin the wig from her head. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to calm herself. The excitement of the evening was waning and the reality was setting in. Nicole had not returned and frankly, she was becoming increasingly worried. Her thoughts drifted then to Wynonna, and against her better judgement, she wondered where her sister went as she had not seen or heard from her since their heated conversation. It had left her reeling and she was ready to put that behind her. 

To center herself, she climbed onto the perfectly fluffed king bed and crossed her legs in lotus pose. She straightened her spine, and closing her eyes, she rested her hands on her knees. She worked through her breathing exercises and completed her seated sun salutation sequence. Finally, Waverly hinged forward and stretched her arms out as far as they’d go, feeling the delicious stretch in her back. 

As there was still more to do, she slipped a gray cardigan over her shoulders and headed downstairs to see where the staff were at. Waverly found Michelle and one other staff member in the kitchen. Michelle was at the sink rinsing the rest of the dishes that couldn’t be put into the dishwasher. 

Christopher, the other staff member that stayed to help clean, was busy sweeping the floors. 

“Hey, guys,” Waverly said, greeting the two. 

She was met with a couple of quiet “heys.” She could tell they were exhausted from cooking and serving all evening. They were clearly also worried about the status of their employer. 

“Why don’t you guys head out. I can finish drying and putting away the dishes and I can also mop the floor. If there are any other duties that need to be addressed, let me know. I can do those too.”

Waverly leaned against the granite countertop. 

“We couldn’t let you do that, Ms. Earp,” Michelle said over the running water. 

“Please call me Waverly. And you guys worked so hard tonight, I’m sure Nicole wouldn’t mind me letting you go a little early. I know she was impressed with the dedication you’ve all shown.”

Michelle and Christopher shared a look. 

“Please, I know she won’t mind. Let me help. You both are exhausted. Go home and get some rest. Those are orders.”

Michelle smiled and turned off the water, setting the last pot on the drying rack. 

Wiping her hands, she sidled up to Waverly placing an arm around the brunette’s shoulders. 

“Thanks, Waverly. We owe you.”   
Michelle squeezed her shoulder in a side hug.

“Anytime.” 

She said good night to the two and took up the rest of the night's chores. She dried and found homes for all of the cookware and took a mop to the floor.

It was closing in on 2am when she finally called it quits. She was so exhausted she could hardly keep her eyes open. The thought of driving her truck back the few blocks seem like torture and she was sure that Nicole wouldn't mind if she slept in the suite for the night.

Nicole 

Dangling precariously from a rafter, Nicole had to pull herself back up onto what remained of the floor in all of her very heavy gear. At any moment the beam could give way and that could prove deadly. There was no way in hell she was calling out for help.

She had been reckless and foolish and Nedley would have her head on a spike if he found out. Mustering all of her strength she managed to do the most important pull up of her life. Her arms burned fiercely but she had no time to recover because she was not safe yet. Crawling on all fours to distribute her weight more evenly, Nicole made her way to the stairs. 

On shaky legs she descended and moved swiftly toward the front door. Once outside, Nicole removed her mask and heaved in heavy breaths of fresh air. It took several minutes to calm her nerves. She was sick to her stomach over how close to disaster she had just come.

The ride to the station with Chief Nedley had been quiet, Nicole not trusting herself to speak lest she reveal the shakiness she knew would give her away. They secured the evidence in a locker and Nicole grabbed her keys and headed back to the Inn. She would have to think about what she was going to say to Waverly tomorrow when she saw her. Now that she had suspicions about the fire and this was an active investigation she had to be careful.

As she parked her truck she noticed Waverly’s vehicle was still there. It warmed her heart to no end to see it, but then fear struck her. What would she say to the woman? A house Nicole didn’t know she owned had been destroyed.

Making her way into her house she noticed her empty bed and couch. Waverly was not here. A quick panic rolled over the exhausted redhead, before she realized the brunette was probably in the suite. Nicole contemplated whether she should go over there or let her be. Her decision made, she left the house and made her way to the private entrance to the suite. Once inside she paused momentarily to collect her thoughts, and then opened the bedroom door.

“There you are!” Waverly exclaimed at seeing her firefighter walk through the door.

“Hey.” Nicole said quietly.

“So where was the fire?” Waverly inquired.

Nicole looked at her briefly, unable to hold her gaze.

“61 Holiday Dr.”

The brunette gasped.

Waverly

There was a crushing weight on her when Nicole said the address. Her vision darkened for a brief moment and she thought she might pass out. Or throw up. 

Waverly was certain of one thing: there were absolutely no words to describe what she felt, although she tried. Nicole was being supportive, but Waverly could not express the emotions that were coursing through her. Nicole’s words cut through her state. 

“...total loss…”

“...it caved in…”

She knew Nicole was calmly explaining what happened as if this was a routine fire. But there was nothing routine about this fire. She was angry. How did it start? Why were the firefighters not able to save it?

Waverly hadn't been to Gus’s farmhouse in what felt like ages, but that didn’t ease the ache she felt knowing she would never enter it again. It was like she was losing pieces of her childhood, of her life, bit by bit. All of the notches in the doorway to the kitchen that tracked the girls’ heights as they grew.   
She was sure the dent was still in the wall where Wynonna had swung a baseball bat when they thought batting practice was an acceptable indoor activity. It had been pouring rain that day. Waverly was deemed the pitcher while Wy swung the bat around in circles like the major league players they saw on television. Boy, Gus had been mad as a hornet when the bat got too close to her wallpapered wall. Waverly was fairly certain the ball had careened straight into the living room lamp, causing that to topple off the end table. 

The memories were still intact. They were still there even if the house wasn’t. 

“Waves.” Nicole said so softly that at first Waverly thought she had imagined it.

"Waves? I'm going to take a shower and clean up. You're exhausted, I'm exhausted. When we wake up we can look at this with clear minds and fresh eyes, okay?" Nicole said it so gently that Waverly felt tears brewing in her eyes at the sincerity.

Nicole steered her back to the bed where she had been laying and tucked the blankets around her. The redhead tucked a strand of Waverly's hair behind her ear. 

"Close your eyes."

Waverly obliged. 

"Now try to get some rest." 

As Nicole went to pull away, Waverly pulled her arm from under the comforter and grabbed Nicole's hand. 

"Please don't leave me alone tonight," she whispered. 

"I'll only be in the other room for a few minutes. Then I'll be with you."

Waverly nodded and closed her eyes. She didn't think she would be able to fall asleep after all that had happened, but the stress made her eyes heavy and soon she heard the water for the shower turn on. It was enough white noise that she was lulled to sleep. Waverly felt Nicole slide into the bed beside her, slipping an arm around her waist. She curled into the warmth of Nicole’s body, grateful for the security it provided. Nicole’s arm tightened and they both gave into the exhaustion they felt, drained from the stress of the day. 

Nicole

Nicole knew that Waverly was hurting. She also knew that the best thing she could do for the woman was find her answers. So it was begrudgingly that she left the brunette to head down to the fire station to dive into the investigation she had started in the wee hours of the morning.

Nicole went back to the scene to continue her investigation in the light of day. She collected more glass fragments that were not from the bedroom window that had broken under the intense heat of the fire. Evidence bagged and tagged, she headed back to the station.

Nicole got comfortable in the small office Chief Nedley provided her for this investigation. She cataloged all of the evidence and uploaded the photos she had taken at the scene. She diligently went through each picture to see if anything stuck out. Next she donned gloves and carefully handled the debris she had collected. While looking at the bottle fragments an idea struck her. 

She put the pieces down and hopped on the computer to check something. She looked for an inventory list from the fire at Shorty’s. Sure enough, blue bottle fragments had been found at that fire as well. She searched the evidence log to see which lab Nedley had sent the fragments to for analysis. Both government and private labs were utilized in investigations, though Nicole found the private labs to be faster and frankly more competent in their job. Scrolling through the log, a brief smile flirted at the edges of her lips as she sighed in relief. Chetri LABS was listed next to the Shorty’s fire evidence sent off. Grabbing her phone, she found the contact she was looking for and hit dial.

“Nicole!”

“Jerbear!”

“Long time no talk, what are you up to?”

“Well Jeremy, I’m kinda working a case.” She said sheepishly.

“Really? I thought you quit?” Jeremy asked quietly.

“I did, am, um. Look, I’m helping with an investigation in PineCliff and I saw your lab took possession of the evidence. What have you got so far?” Nicole asked her friend.

“Oh my God, I literally just finished with analysis of the glass sent to us, and Nicole there is a fingerprint!” Jeremy exclaimed.

“Have you run it yet?”

“No, I just found it today. We’ve been swamped with cases and since this was a routine inquiry, I just started looking through the stuff today. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, buddy. There was another fire last night and I have reason to believe they may be connected. I want to send you some evidence collected which happens to include glass fragments that appear to be from a bottle. I’m hoping you can put a rush on it.”

“Anything for you, Nicole.”

“Thanks Jer. Can you compare the sample to see if they are similar?” Nicole inquired.

“Absolutely, and if we get lucky and find another fingerprint, I will compare and then upload them to see if we get a match.”Jeremy excitedly replied.

“I owe you one! I’ll express these to you today, and thanks in advance.” 

“No problem. Take care Nicole. I will contact you with any updates, now I know you’re on the case.”

Once she got off the phone with her dear friend Jeremy and had finished examining the evidence, she packed it up to take to the post office. She was anxious to find out what his lab would uncover.

Nicole leaned back in her chair and pondered. Seeing Wynonna at the fire last night had spooked her. It was concerning given her history with fire, her obvious fascination with it and her connection with the property. Shorty’s place had also been torched and the woman was linked to him as well. But why, she thought to herself. What would be her motive?

Nicole spent the next half hour going over witness statements taken by the police. One piqued her interest. A neighbor stated he had seen someone in all black in the neighborhood shortly before the fire started. Although he didn’t get a look at their face, he said given their build and walk, he assumed it to be a woman. I’ll be damned, she thought, solidifying her next course of action.

Nicole grabbed a quick lunch and checked in with Waverly before she started to do some digging into that sister of hers.

Waverly

Nicole left early that morning to head back to the fire station and Waverly mercifully fell back to sleep. Nicole had made a quick call to Rachel that she would need to open Stagecoach for Waverly. Rachel understood and said she would cover for the day, knowing Waverly would not be ready to face the world yet. Waverly knew Nicole was doing everything in her power to help her get through this. 

The morning after, Waverly felt like she was in a fog. It still didn't feel real, the fire that destroyed the farmhouse. She could not bring herself to drive over to the property to see the wreckage. She knew she had insurance claims to make and multiple people to call but she just couldn't make herself do any of it. Every thought and every memory surrounding Gus's farmhouse made her cry. She didn't have much left besides the cafe and the apartment upstairs. She also had Wynonna but it pained her because she knew they weren't close and probably never would be. While stressful situations seemed to bring families together, this one seemed to be driving a wedge deeper and deeper between her and her sister. 

Where was Wynonna anyway? Waverly knew she had left after their argument yesterday morning and she hadn't seen her sister since. Waverly had just assumed she also needed some space. She never knew what her sister was up to or where she went during the day. She didn't have a job or any close friends, so Waverly was growing more and more suspicious of her sister. 

It was three in the afternoon and Waverly was still in her pajamas when she finally got back to her apartment. There were signs that Wynonna might have been there at some point during the night because the blankets on the couch were tossed haphazardly to one end and there was a coffee mug on the kitchen counter that hadn't been there yesterday. 

Although she wanted to grieve and mope until Nicole made it all better, she knew deep down that the only thing that would keep her from wallowing was to dive right into research. It was the only thing that made sense when the world around her was falling apart. 

She needed answers to her questions.

Arsonist

Dressed in black pants and a hoodie, the arsonist pulled up to a post office not far from PineCliff. It had been five days since the fire on Holiday Dr., plenty of time in their estimation for their message to have been heard loud and clear. Walking into the empty lobby, the figure bent down and inserted the key into box 69. There was nothing there. No letter, meant no check. What would it take to get the message across that they were not playing around. Frustrated, they pounded their fist against the row of boxes. On the way out they collided with a man just entering the post office. The impact knocked the hood off of their head. 

“Sorry Miss, are you okay?”

“Fuck off!” The woman growled as she quickly pulled the hood back up over her hair.

The man looked startled at the outburst and moved abruptly to the side to allow passage.  
Once outside, the woman got in her vehicle and punched her steering wheel repeatedly. Today was not going as planned and she was running out of patience and time. Tired of not being taken seriously, a new target began to formulate in her mind. There would be no way to ignore her then, she thought with a satisfied smirk.

Nicole

Nicole had missed group therapy because of her investigation, but thought it was a good thing as she was certainly not ready to see Wynonna given her growing suspicions about the woman. She also had not seen much of Waverly as well, and she felt guilty for that. She could not lie to the woman and thought if they had been face to face, Waverly would know instantly that something was amiss. 

How do you tell the woman you're falling for that you suspect her sister is a serial arsonist? Furthermore, how do you tell the woman you know who her sister is? She knew that some of her anxiety came from her missing all of the signs with Shae. Perhaps she was projecting and Wynonna had nothing to do with it. 

Waverly had asked to help in the investigation, bringing up her degrees and experience with research. How did she let the woman help investigate her own sister? That would be a sure fire way to kill their budding relationship. The stress was gnawing at her and she needed help finding a solution.

Making an emergency appointment with Dr. Lopez provided its own hurdles as she could not reveal too much because Wynonna was also a patient of hers. With much apprehension, she made the appointment anyway.

Sitting in the psychologist’s office, Nicole could not stop her leg from bouncing. Her nerves were evident to Dr. Lopez as well.

“What brings you in today Nicole?”

Nicole took a deep breath.

“I know we’ve talked a little bit about my past and what brought me to you in the first place, but it seems my past is colliding with my present and I need to know if I’m projecting my past experience into the current situation or if there really is something to what I think I’m seeing.”

Dr. Lopez nodded in encouragement, so Nicole continued.

“I was dating my roommate for three years. We were both firefighters, me an arson investigator and she a battalion chief in another fire house. Our relationship began to sour two years in, strained by our work schedules and other commitments. She was jealous of any relationship that was not ours. She fought with me about wanting to hang out with friends or family and it was getting to be too much.” 

“Around this time, a string of arsons occurred in my district. Shae was strangely invested and supportive of my investigation considering the way we had been fighting over every little thing. It became something we bonded over and I thought for a moment that perhaps we had turned the corner in our relationship and all would be well. We went to counseling and things seemed to get better despite the growing number of suspicious fires that consumed my time.” 

Nicole needed a breather for what came next and took a sip from her water bottle before continuing.

“One fire in particular, the arsonist messed up and was caught on camera exiting the building. It was my girlfriend Shae. I was so blindsided by it, when in hindsight, she had been leaving me clues all along at the scenes. Each incident there was a note with one word scribbled on it, usually placed in the mailbox of the structure that was targeted. I should have put it all together, but didn’t. I had failed as an investigator, and when she was finally arrested I knew my career in firefighting was over. I had been good at my job up to that point and though no one faulted me, I did.”

“After the trial, I left town and moved, needing a fresh start. I never intended on going back to firefighting, but felt called back after those firefighters were injured. Now here we are in sleepy ole PineCliff with two suspicious fires that appear connected and I fear it may be someone I know who is starting them.”

“Is there any evidence to support your theory?” Dr. Lopez asked.

“Well I cannot get into details for obvious reasons, but I should have a definitive answer soon as to whether the two fires are connected. As to who the perp is, they are connected to both fires and was actually seen at one as a bystander. I know it's not much at the moment, which is why I’m spinning out.” Nicole lamented.

“What does your gut tell you?” Dr. Lopez inquired.

“My gut tells me this person, if not the outright perpetrator, may be the actual target of the arsonist.” 

Nicole just realized the connection she made in that statement. She may have been looking at this all wrong. Instead of assuming that Wynonna was the arsonist, maybe she was the intended target. The whole town seemed to have no love lost for the woman. That is something that Waverly could help with. Find out why her family, or found family in Shorty’s case, may be on someone’s radar. 

A startling chill went through her body. Maybe Waverly was the target? Why had she never thought of this?

Dr. Lopez could see the wheels turning in Nicole’s head and gave her the quiet she needed to process whatever was happening in her mind.

“I think I just realized what my next step in this investigation is.” Nicole said with satisfaction.

“Well I’m glad you have made a breakthrough. Do you still believe you were projecting?”

“No, but I think my experience with Shae clouded my vision a bit in this investigation. With your help talking about the past, I realize where I have strayed in this case and how to move forward, so thank you.” The redhead replied.

“Anytime Nicole, this is exactly what therapy is for. To help guide you down your path.”

The two women wrapped up the session and Nicole darted out of her office with a mission in mind. She was going to see Waverly, lay out her suspicions and elicit her help in finding out why it seemed someone in their family was the target of this arsonist.

Nicole 

After her session, Nicole called Waverly to see if she could buzz by her apartment to talk. Waverly eagerly accepted given they hadn’t seen much of each other recently.  
Nicole knocked softly on the door and was quickly greeted by the brunette who was decked out in a cute tank top and yoga pants. Nicole let her gaze slowly trace the exquisite form before her, drinking it all in. She took a deep breath, a goofy ass smiled splayed across her face.

Waverly looked amused at the unabashed display of lust and pulled the redhead into a hug and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before ghosting her lips upon Nicole’s ear as she whispered, “I’ve missed you.”

Nicole shuddered in response.

Closing the door the two made their way over to the dining room table. Pulling a chair close to Waverly, Nicole clasped her hands over the brunette’s. 

“What did you want to talk about, hon?”

Nicole was nervous now that the moment of truth arrived.

“I want to talk to you about the fire.” 

“Do you know who set it?” The brunette asked hopefully.

They had avoided the subject because Waverly was still reeling from the loss of Gus’s farmhouse, but Nicole needed the woman’s help so she pushed forward. 

“We are working some leads, but I need your help finding out why it appears your family is being targeted.” Nicole declared as she saw a look of disbelief form on Waverly’s face.

Arsonist

A woman leaned against an ivy covered brick wall, sipping on the coffee she had just purchased from the cafe across the street. Her eyes were fixed on the apartment above the shop. The shade was up on one of the windows and she could see the shadows of two people cast against a wall. She did not know who the second shadow belonged to and was intrigued.

Nearby another figure was slowly making their way along the sidewalk when they stopped dead in their tracks. What is she doing here they thought? Tracing the onlookers gaze, the figure noted what had captivated the spectator. Moving more swiftly now, the figure attempted to close the gap between themselves and the woman leaning against the wall.

Just then the woman looked away from the window and locked eyes with her pursuer. Wasting no time she bolted, hearing the figure yell out to her. She weaved through pedestrians with skill, ducking into a store, watching as the figure chasing her ran by coming to a stop at the end of the street, searching. She blended into the background of shoppers, keeping an eye on the figure now pacing the street. She waited quite some time before she felt it safe to emerge and walk back from whence she came.


	6. Fully Involved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you lovely readers for your patience. Both authors of this fic are postal employees and this is our crazy time. We are working hard on the last two chapters and hope to present you with the final product soon!

Nicole

Waverly and Nicole had relocated to the loveseat, the brunette sitting crossed legged, facing Nicole, and the redhead with one leg tucked under her and one firmly planted on the ground. Nicole was struggling with how to begin the conversation now that she was looking Waverly in the eyes. She didn’t want to hurt her with what she was about to reveal.  
“So before we get started, there is something I need to tell you,” Nicole began.  
Waverly could sense the uneasiness the redhead was emitting and wanted her to know she was a safe space, so she reached out and gently placed her hand on the knee of the leg on the couch. This seemed to ground the tall woman who let out a quick sigh and a trace of a smile could be seen on her beautiful face.

“Take all the time you need, sweetie.” Waverly encouraged.

Nicole then told Waverly the whole story about her being an arson investigator, her girlfriend Shae, the investigation, the trial, everything. She left nothing out, however embarrassed or foolish it made her seem.   
Waverly for her part listened with an open heart, without judgement for which the redhead was thankful.

“Thank you for trusting me with this part of yourself, but Nicole please don’t feel like you're not good at what you do because you were blinded by love. Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees and it’s okay,” Waverly said softly and with compassion. 

Nicole embraced the woman in a bear hug and shed a tear or two on her shoulder, feeling a weight lift off of her and a new door opening to their relationship.

Waverly took her hand and placed a loving kiss on her palm and then placed Nicole’s hand against her chest. Nicole could feel the beating of the woman’s heart and it calmed her. She placed a gentle kiss on her lips and then leaned in so their foreheads were touching.

“Thank you for being amazing.” Nicole breathed out against Waverly’s cheek. The brunette created a little space between them and cupped the redhead’s face.

“You my dear are extraordinary and I thank my lucky stars everyday you walked into my coffee shop,” Waverly confessed before again capturing her lips with a passionate kiss, wrapped in emotions not yet revealed.

The two pulled each other closer as their kissing became more heated. Waverly gliding her tongue along Nicole’s bottom lip as if asking permission for entrance. Nicole parted her swollen lips as Waverly’s tongue briefly danced against hers. Nicole knew that they still had much to discuss about their relationship and feelings for each other as well as needing to talk about her suspicions regarding her family and the fires; but right now all she could think about was the energy pulsating throughout her body in response to Waverly’s lips now peppering her neck with kisses. So enamored with each other, the two women did not hear the key placed in the lock, nor the door to the apartment open.

“Yo baby girl, you got some hot du...” Wynonna stopped mid sentence at the sight before her.

The startled women pulled apart.

“What the fuck are you doing to my baby sister Nicole?!” Wynonna barked.

Nicole blanched at the sight of Wynonna, while Waverly looked between her sister and Nicole with confusion.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Waverly blurted.

Fear was evident on Nicole’s face as she made direct eye contact with Wynonna. She shook her head slightly, willing the woman to keep her mouth shut. She had not revealed to Waverly that she was in therapy and did not want her to find out this way.

Wynonna, oblivious to the signal, but with her own secrets to keep, smiled at her baby sister and said “Know is a bit of a strong word, I met her at the fire.” 

“Why were you at Gus’s?” Waverly asked Wynonna and then looked back at Nicole.   
“And why didn’t you tell me you've met my sister?” slapping the redhead’s thigh.

“In my defense, I did not know she was your sister at the time, but it was one of the reasons I asked to speak with you today.” Nicole sheepishly replied.

“I’m no expert, but it didn’t look like much talking was going on there Red, more like....”

“Not the point Wynonna!” Waverly shouted, cutting her sister off.

“Besides how did you even know someone was here with me?” Waverly inquired. 

Nicole noticed the way Wynonna shifted uncomfortably at the question. 

“You two were casting shadows against the wall.” She replied while pointing towards the unshaded window and then a wall.

The three women were silent a moment, none of them sure on how to proceed. 

Finally Nicole stood up, earning a concerned look from Waverly.

“Look, I think I should leave. I’ll call you later.” 

“Please don’t go.” Waverly pleaded. 

“Yeah don’t leave on my account, Red.” Wynonna added.

Nicole felt the tension in the room and as much as she needed to speak with Waverly, she was wary of speaking in front of her sister for obvious reasons. 

“You got any leads on who burnt down my Aunt’s house firefry?” Wynonna questioned. 

Nicole turned towards Waverly and saw puppy dog eyes flashing at her, complete with a downward turned lip silently asking her the same.

Waverly reached out with one hand to grab hold of Nicole’s and gently patted the cushion next to her indicating she should sit back down. Resigned to her fate, the redhead complied.

“The fire was no accident.” 

“Someone did this on purpose?” Waverly murmured. “Who would do that?”

Wynonna sat down on the couch, facing both women and looked uneasy. 

“That’s actually what I came here to ask. Do either of you know why your family may be the target of an arsonist?” Nicole probed. 

Waverly looked over to Wynonna who had her eyes downcast, looking at the floor. She was fiddling with the fringe on a decorative pillow, unable or unwilling to meet her sister’s eyes. Nicole watched her body language and found her reaction curious.

“I can’t think of anyone who would want to do this.” Waverly answered, still looking at her sister. 

“Well the whole town hates me Red, so the list of suspects is long.” Wynonna replied, still staring at the floor.

“That’s not true Wy.” Waverly whispered. 

“Waverly, everyone thinks I’m a fuck up, including you.” 

Waverly did not respond, instead she looked at Nicole with sadness and guilt.

Nicole did not know much about the sister’s relationship with one another, but the pain in Wynonna’s voice was evident and the reaction from Waverly was hard to watch. Her heart broke for both of the women and their strained bond. 

“Am I on your list of suspects Red?” 

“No Wynonna, how can you say that?” Waverly gasped. 

“You know why.”

“Well you’re not off the list.” Nicole interjected. 

“Nicole!!” Waverly snapped, slapping the woman’s arm.

“What? The only reason you’re not on the list is because half the town including myself was at the party with you.” Nicole quipped in an effort to diffuse the situation.

It didn’t work. Waverly just glared at her causing her to shift uncomfortably on the seat.

“Look, I need both of you to help me figure out if this was a random crime or not. If you don’t have anyone you can think of with a grudge, perhaps it is an old score someone wants to settle with the family from long ago.”

Both women now looked at Nicole expectantly. The redhead turned to look at Waverly. 

“You say you're good at research, maybe you can find something in old newspaper clippings related to disputes with members of your family.” 

Waverly’s eyes sparkled at the mention of research. 

“Oh, I could look through The PineCliff Press archives, search land and property deeds.” The brunette replied practically bouncing up and down on the love seat. It made Nicole smile.

“You don’t really need her help do you?” Wynonna snarked.

Waverly’s whole demeanor changed, deflated by the comment. Nicole shot daggers in Wynonna’s direction. The woman returned the gaze, defiant. 

“Yes baby, I really do.” Nicole countered with care dripping from her voice. She took Waverly’s hand and placed a soft kiss on her palm, then gently squeezed it in encouragement. It was not enough to fix her wounded heart, but she could tell it helped.

Waverly placed her head on the woman’s shoulder. Nicole was unsure of the level of affection to show her in the presence of her sister, despite her barging in on them earlier, so she placed a kiss on the top of her head and pulled her into a side hug, rubbing her hand up and down Waverly’s arm in an attempt to comfort her.

Wynonna stood up and walked towards the bathroom, leaving the two women alone.

“I really do need your help, Waves, no matter what Wynonna thinks. You do what you can and let me know if you come across anything of interest okay?”

Waverly did not verbally respond, but instead shook her head up and down slightly.

The two women sat in silence for a few minutes, Wynonna, not having returned from wherever it was she went in the apartment.

“I’m going to go now Waves, but please call me later so that I know you are okay. I know you’ve had a lot for one day and I’m here if you need to talk later or whatever.”

Waverly sighed, but nodded that she understood and stood up when Nicole did and led her to the door, kissing her lightly on the lips.

Once she closed the door, she went in search of her sister. Her hurt, now turned into anger.

Waverly

Her conversation with Nicole had left her spinning once again, after she had just come down off the shock of the fire. Why would someone target her? Or target their family? It made no sense. She was sure they didn't have any enemies. But she couldn't help thinking about all of the recent incidents. They had all been associated with the Earps. Wynonna suddenly reappears after a year and a half. It couldn't have been a coincidence. 

Waverly vowed to herself that she would push forward, helping Nicole with anything she could so that they could stop this. Waverly was worried.   
Who could possibly be next?   
She found Wynonna sitting on the bathroom sink scrolling through something on her phone. 

“Conversation got a little weird, so…” Wynonna said, trailing off. She shoved the phone back into the pocket of the jacket she was still wearing. 

“Did you do it?”

“Okay. Seriously? Do you think I would be here in your apartment, even entertaining this conversation if I had started those fires?”

Waverly shook her head. “I just don’t understand. The evidence so far just doesn’t add up. And you at the fire doesn’t look good. The people who did the crime usually revisit the crime scene to watch the aftermath.”

“Okay, Detective Knowitall. I didn’t start the fire at Gus’s. I just needed some fresh air that night. I'm allowed to walk outside, right? Not like I was invited to your little soiree.” Wynonna rolled her eyes and hopped down from the counter and followed Waverly back out to the living room. Wynonna plopped down on the couch, spreading out, while Waverly took the chair.

“I think we both needed space that day. But there was one thing you said that’s been bothering me…” Waverly hemmed and hawed, unsure of how to broach the subject without waging World War III. 

“Well, out with it, already. I ain’t getting any younger.”

“You insinuated that something happened between you and Willa.”

“Nothing happened between us. It’s what happened to us, Babygirl.”

Waverly seemed confused, so Wynonna elaborated slightly. 

“You were too young back then. You wouldn’t have remembered anyway, but there are just some things that kids should never have to go through. Some people have demons in their past.”

“What are you talking about? We had a great childhood.”

A mirthless laugh escaped Wynonna’s lips. 

“Exactly my point. I hate to say it but you’ve been sheltered your whole life. It’s time to grow up, Waverly.”

Wynonna bounced up off the couch, smoothing her hands over her leather pants.

“Well I have somewhere I need to be so I’ll leave you to it.”

Waverly was hurt that Wynonna couldn’t confide in her. The worst thing that happened in their childhood was the fire at the barn. But it was just a barn. She just couldn’t understand and Wynonna wasn’t giving her an inch.

She supposed it was up to her to find out what Wynonna was talking about. When she went to research who would be targeting their family, she was also going to dig into her sister’s past. Waverly had a suspicion that it would lead to answers.   
With a shudder, Waverly was afraid that not all answers would be the ones she wanted to know.

Nicole

Nicole and Waverly spoke briefly before bed, the redhead attempting to reassure the brunette that her help was needed and that Nicole would do anything to help her stay safe, even offering her a room at the Inn until the arsonist was caught. Waverly politely declined, fierce in her independence and unwillingness to let her life be dictated by fear. Nicole understood, but was worried nonetheless and so fell into a fitful sleep in her small home.

The next morning she was helping the staff clean up after a large group checked out of the Inn. She was throwing dirty laundry in the industrial washers located in the basement. Surveying the place, she thought it could do with some reorganization. 

Supplies were haphazardly strewn about, unused furniture piled up against a back wall. She would devise a better system and take inventory of what all was hiding down there. She might be able to utilize Michelle to help give the woman some more hours, she thought, as she turned the dial and started the load. Climbing the stairs, Nicole walked in the kitchen to find Michelle. She found the woman stacking dishes in the cupboards. 

“How’s Champ?” Nicole inquired.

“He’s doing well in physical therapy. The doctors think he will regain full use of his arm given time. His leg is taking longer to heal and he may need another surgery because the break is not healing.” Michelle relayed.

“Well I am in need of some help if you have the time to spare. I would like a full inventory of the contents of the basement and then it will need to be organized. I’m thinking of building some shelves for our pantry supplies, kitchenware, and bedding to make it easier for staff to find what they need.”

“Oh, Absolutely, Thanks Miss Haught!” Michelle exclaimed.

“Nicole, Please just call me Nicole dear.” The redhead smiled at the thankful woman.

The Innkeeper continued to help the staff with the tasks of the day for the next hour before she got ready to head into the fire station to work on the investigation and see if Jeremy had made any progress. 

Waverly

It had been a short time since the fire at the farmhouse. Her heart was still heavy, but she put on a brave face as she bounded up the steps of the library. It was a large stone building with imposing white columns lining the entire front of the building. 

Inside was warm and Waverly almost immediately felt a calming around her. It was quiet in the library this afternoon and she found a corner chair by a window that she could set up in. Waverly briefly thought about staying at the apartment with her laptop, but decided against it. She didn't want Wynonna coming back to find her snooping. She also knew that the fresh air and a change of scenery would do her some good.

Since Nicole had asked for her help in the investigation, Waverly felt a sense of purpose that she hadn't realized she'd been lacking since she moved to PineCliff. It renewed her spirit and gave her motivation to carry on. She wanted more than anything to figure out who was behind the arson not only at the farmhouse, but at Shorty's as well. Anything she could do to help Nicole, she would. Waverly wasn’t yet willing to admit that Wynonna might have been right; even the thought of research took her back to the passion she felt as a graduate student at university. She felt like an archaeologist of information and if it felt like a mental puzzle, she was on the right track.

Waverly flipped open the laptop and opened an internet browser. The PineCliff Press had digitized many of their records in recent years, she had learned when she called the office earlier that morning. She created an account to view the articles. The secretary had been very informative, letting her know she could search by keyword or date range. The website was straightforward, and on the top in the search bar, she typed the word Earp. It was basic, but she had to start somewhere. The page filled with results.

As Waverly scrolled, she became increasingly aware of a theme. Wherever the Earp name was, the Clanton name was sure to follow. According to one article dated back to 1871, Wyatt Earp accused Ike Clanton of staking his fence over the Earp property line. Waverly opened another tab of her web browser and looked up property records and land maps. Just as she suspected, the farmhouse that Gus owned, previously Earp property, bordered just over 100 acres of Clanton land. According to the article, the local judge at the time ruled in Wyatt’s favor. Waverly found several more articles like that, where one family would accuse another of something, mostly petty things. 

She was sure there was no longer a dispute between the two families. The Clanton’s still owned the land next door, so she made a note to stop over to see if the current owners had heard or saw anything suspicious. 

Waverly was sifting through the fourth page of her search results, satisfied with what she had found so far so she shifted focus and typed McCready/Gibson in the search bar of the archived articles. There were many hits on the last name McCready, most were short articles, announcements, nothing substantial.

One link caught her attention. It was the article dating back to the fire that destroyed the barn. There was a picture accompanying the article complete with a caption. A young firefighter was kneeling on the ground with two small children in his arms. He was unaware that his picture was being taken, while one of the two girls was staring at the photographer. A chill passed through Waverly and she could feel her pulsing rushing in her ears. The caption under the photo read:  
“Rookie firefighter Randy Nedley saved the day when he rescued two young girls trapped in a burning barn at the McCready farmstead early Thursday morning. The two girls were taken to the hospital but are reported to be in good health. Their identities have not yet been released.”

She knew that farmstead and she knew those two girls. A young Waverly was curled into Randy Nedley’s left arm. Wynonna, wrapped in a blanket that was dragging on the ground was staring directly at the camera. Her expression was alarming. Even in the old photograph, Waverly could tell her eyes were full of hatred, her lips were pursed. She was not crying like the sister. Waverly did the math in her head. She had been about 5, Wynonna, 9, but she wore the bitter expression of an adult, far beyond her years. What the hell had happened that night?

It was all the nudge she needed.

A Google search of Wynonna’s name would be a good diving point. There were many public records floating around on the internet. Waverly was adept at slogging through the garbage to get to a site that would give her credible information. 

The first thing she found were the arrest records. Waverly wanted to be surprised, but she found she was not. Most of the records seemed to be for public intoxication or some other minor offense. She found one for assault but it appeared as though the charges had been dropped. All of them seemed to be years ago, when Wynonna was in her early 20's. There were no other recent criminal records and for that she was relieved. 

The next thing she found were property records. There was a house owned by John Holiday with an associated name of Wynonna Holiday (nee Earp) a few hours away, just outside of Toronto. There was another property on file as well. It was an apartment under Wynonna's maiden name in downtown Toronto. Waverly wondered why her sister would have a separate apartment. She knew they were having marital issues because she was here sleeping on Waverly's couch. But if there were problems, wouldn't she be at her own apartment? 

Waverly also wondered if this was the apartment her sister moved to when she left their parent's house. But that was so many years ago. Why would she still be hanging on to the apartment after marrying John? Wynonna was not known to be a sentimental person and she imagined that it was expensive to keep both the house and the apartment in Toronto. 

Nothing that she came up with made any sense to her. Waverly knew if she came out and asked Wynonna, she would never get an answer out of her. 

She wrote down the address to the apartment in a spiral notebook she had brought with her. Waverly knew she was going to need it. 

Arsonist

The woman perused the shelves of the local hardware in search of items needed for her next adventure. She pulled her hand out of the pocket of her hoodie and grabbed hold of the plastic gas can. No more child’s play she thought as she placed the item in her cart.

She was tired of being ignored, neglected and dismissed as a failure by the one person who said they cared about her, so she was going to strike back the only way she knew how. When the flames destroyed everything that stood in her way, then and only then would she come running back to her to right the wrongs of the past.

Waverly

Sitting in her red Jeep outside the high rise apartment building, she scanned the address on the notebook, confirming she was at the right building. It was a blustery November day and people walked quickly along the sidewalks. Waverly ducked out of the Jeep, shoving her hands in her coat pockets and dipped the bottom half of her face into her oversized chunky scarf. The wind bit at her cheeks.

Waverly jogged across the busy street to the large glass doors. She pulled at the metal handle and was greeted by the warmth of the lobby.

The apartment building was complete with a front desk, manned by an older gentleman. He looked up from his newspaper and smiled.

"Good morning, miss. Can I help you?"

On the three hour drive to Toronto, Waverly had run through numerous plans in her head. She had a contingency plan for just about every situation. 

"Good morning! I hope you can! My sister lives in apartment 908 and she asked me to drop by and pick up some boxes of books and water her plants while I'm there. Wynonna Earp is the name. I just need to be buzzed in since she's not here right now."  
Waverly looked at the next set of locked doors in the lobby, leading to an elevator and a staircase. She held up a key in an attempt to look the part. In reality it was a key to the front door of Stagecoach.

His bushy salt and pepper eyebrows knitted together. 

"You're Wynonna?" he asked. 

"Oh no! I'm Waverly. Wynonna is my sister who owns the apartment upstairs."

"I'm sorry, that name doesn't ring a bell…"

"Oh you'd definitely know my sister. Usually dresses in black, long brunette hair, angry face." 

He shook his head once more. "No, doesn't sound like her. Also," he added, "you need to have your sister add you to the approved guest list. We can't have just anyone coming in and out of the building. Security reasons, I'm sure you understand." 

"Oh of course. She's such an airhead sometimes! I'll have to text her to let her know. Thanks!"

Waverly tried to hide her disappointment as she turned to leave the lobby, but the man's voice stopped her in her tracks. 

"You said a woman with an angry face? Long brown hair?" 

Waverly nodded. 

"There was a woman matching the description that came in, oh, I'd say a couple months ago. Like I said, doesn't reside here, just wanted to drop off an envelope, but when I mentioned that her recipient was out of town for a while and wouldn't receive the envelope, she went berserk. I've never heard a string of curse words so colorful. She kept muttering about ‘where could she have gone.’ I didn’t really understand. I’m not sure if that’s helpful to you, but I suppose since the woman isn't a resident of the building, there's no harm in telling you that." 

"My goodness! I wonder what that could've been about? Well thank you for telling me. That sure sounds like my sister Wynonna."

Waverly left, not sure what to make of the exchange between her and the man at the front desk. It dawned on Waverly that when she had described Wynonna, he had mentioned that it didn't sound like her, letting on to the fact that it was a woman living in the apartment that Wynonna owned. But if it wasn’t Wynonna, then who?.   
As Waverly cranked the key to start the engine, she wondered if the trip had been for naught. She wasn't any closer to knowing who was in the apartment because of the very security conscious concierge. 

Waverly knew eventually she would have to confront Wynonna about what was going on. 

Back in PineCliff, she decided to stop at the Clanton house before heading home. Waverly took a deep breath. Although she was sure that the silly dispute between old men didn’t extend into today’s day and age, she still didn’t want to dredge up old wounds if the family still had resentment toward the Earps.

She knocked on the door of the modest house. Someone yelled from inside, a woman’s voice. A few moments later, the door opened in a rush and a middle aged woman with shoulder length sandy blonde hair greeted her with a frown. 

“You’re not the pizza guy.”

Waverly shook her head quickly. “No, ma’am. I’m Waverly Earp. I’m Gus’s niece. I own the property next to yours.” Waverly pointed vaguely in the direction of the Earp property. 

The woman folded her arms across her chest. “And what is it exactly that I can do for you?”

“I only wanted to stop by to ask you a couple questions. I promise it’ll be quick.” 

She was losing the woman’s attention.

“The night of the fire, did you hear or see anything out of the ordinary?”

“Can’t even see the house from here, so no.”

Waverly sighed. “Yes, of course. Silly question. This might also come out as a silly question, but I was doing a lot of digging into my family’s past and I came across many articles about our ancestors.”

The woman lifted an eyebrow. “Was there a question in there?”

“Our families aren’t still feuding are they?” Waverly blurted out. She gave an internal groan, knowing she was about to have the door slammed in her face.

To her surprise, the woman in front of her began to laugh hysterically. “Now that is about the funniest shit I’ve heard in a long time. Oh you sweet, innocent thing. There was a feud between dead men. Maybe it carried over to their sons, I don’t know. I don’t have a problem with you Earps. Is that what you want to hear?”

Waverly deflated. “That’s so relieving to hear. I’m sorry to bother you and I thank you for your time.”

“Just tell your sister to stay off my property, okay? There’s no problem, and I don’t want to make one.”

“Wait, what?”

“Pretty sure she’s been stealing eggs out of the chicken coop, of all things. I caught her out there twice now. Once just last night. Tell her to buy some damn eggs from the store an’ quit stealing mine!” 

“I will relay the message.”

Waverly thanked the woman again. She knew that the Clanton’s weren’t involved in the fire. There was no motive for them. It didn’t help that Waverly was even more confused having talked to the Clanton woman. 

It seemed like there were more questions than answers.


	7. Combustion

**Nicole**

Jeremy had finally come through. He was able to identify that the glass fragments from both fires came from a distinct blue bottle of whiskey called Haig Club. Additionally he found a fingerprint on a piece from the Shorty’s fire and matched it to the one found at Gus’s. It was no longer conjecture, the fires were connected. Unfortunately, he did not find a match for the fingerprints in the national database, so who the culprit was, remained a mystery.

Nicole felt hopeful that this could be the break she needed in the investigation. She phoned her police contact, Agent Dolls and asked him to search for purchases of Haig Club Whiskey throughout the county in the last six months. With any luck it might yield a lead. Satisfied with her progress for the day, she phoned Waverly and asked her to lunch.

Nicole bundled up to walk the three blocks to the little restaurant she was having lunch at with Waverly. The weather was blustery and overcast, further signs that fall was in full swing, the redhead thought as she meandered past the storefronts. It seemed like yesterday to her when she rolled into town back in September. Now with Thanksgiving right around the corner, she contemplated what was next for the Inn. The book club and murder mystery were still being planned, but she was thinking about something for herself. She wanted to host a small dinner, but really hadn’t made many friends in town. Maybe she would see what Waverly’s plans were for the holiday and go from there.

Inside the restaurant she found Waverly seated at a booth in the back. Sliding in, she took off her coat and greeted the woman.

“Hey Waves, how has your day been?” Nicole asked.

“Unusually busy at the coffee shop. I’m actually thinking of hiring a manager.”Waverly replied.

“Wow, I’m glad to hear business is booming for you.” 

“Honestly digging into my family’s past has reignited my passion for research and is making me realize how much I miss it,” Waverly said with a sigh.

“Speaking of research, what have you uncovered?” 

“Well some interesting dynamics between the Earps and a local family named the Clantons, but it seems that old feud has fizzled out. Strangely the woman said she saw my sister on her property and accused her of stealing chicken eggs which does not sound like Wynonna at all. The woman can’t cook to save her life. Calling her a disaster in the kitchen is a kindness, so maybe there is still a tiny grudge, but not one that results in my Aunt’s house being set ablaze,” Waverly recounted.

“What about you? Have you heard from your friend Jeremy?” Waverly inquired.

Nicole was a little nervous about the information she was presently going to share, so she took a swig of water the waitress had just brought over before she revealed what she had learned.

“So we have determined that both fires are indeed connected.”

“How?”

“Fingerprints were found on shards of blue glass at both scenes.”

“Does that mean you know who started them?” Waverly asked.

“We haven’t matched the fingerprints yet, but the blue glass is from a type of whiskey, so we are searching purchase records and hopefully that will provide us the lead we need.”

Nicole noticed Waverly shifting uncomfortably across from her.

“What is it?” Nicole questioned.

“Do you know what brand?” Waverly mumbled.

“Yeah why?” Nicole asked with growing concern. 

“No reason,” Waverly said without looking the redhead in the eye.

“It’s called Haig Club, you know it?” Nicole pressed.

Waverly did not respond at first.

“Maybe.”

“What does that mean Waverly?”

“It means I have some questions of my own that I need answered first,” Waverly huffed.

Nicole knew there was something tumbling around the brunette’s head, but did not want to push it further. She felt confident that the woman would talk to her when she was ready. Shifting gears, the two ordered and Nicole broached the subject of Thanksgiving.

“So, I was wondering what your plans are for Thanksgiving,” Nicole sheepishly asked the brunette.

“I usually volunteer at the local soup kitchen and then decorate the apartment for Christmas. In the evening I curl up on the couch and watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It’s hands down my favorite holiday movie.” Waverly responded.

Nicole looked at the woman with both fascination and a tinge of sadness. She was such a giving soul and hearing about her volunteer work made her heart melt, but knowing that she had likely spent most holidays alone since the passing of Gus made her hurt for the woman. She was intent on changing that.

“I was thinking of having a couple of people over for Thanksgiving dinner...would you be interested in coming?”

The brunette smiled at the question.

“Nicole, I would love it! Can I help you cook? Please say yes!!” Waverly implored.

“On one condition, you have to let me tag along with you to the soup kitchen,” Nicole countered. She could see Waverly beaming across from her and reached out to hold her hand.

“Nothing would make me happier Nicole.”

The two women traded small talk throughout lunch and parted with a kiss and plans to have dinner that evening.

**Waverly**

She was in a state of bliss when she arrived back at her apartment. Not only was she having dinner with her girlfriend (the thought still gave her butterflies), but Nicole had also asked her to Thanksgiving. It truly warmed Waverly’s soul to know she had found someone she could share her life with, and likewise, Nicole was fully opening herself to Waverly. 

She jiggled the key in the lock to the apartment and opening the door she found Wynonna on the couch, slouched, boots on the coffee table watching something on television. 

“Hey.” 

Wynonna barely looked up from the screen long enough to acknowledge her sister’s entrance.

It was now or never. There was a weight hanging on her every time she was in the same room as her sister. There was a giant elephant in the room and it needed to be addressed. 

“I think it’s time you moved on, Wy. You said you were only staying a few days to a week. You’re eating all the food in the refrigerator, you don’t clean up after yourself, and for pete’s sake get your feet off my coffee table,” Waverly managed to say in a relatively calm voice.

She was proud of herself. She needed to handle this delicately, but with a firm hand. 

Wynonna slowly dragged her booted feet off the table and they thudded to the floor one, then the other.

“Baby sis. Look at you being all in charge. Little hanky panky got you feeling all high and mighty now?”

And just like that, the patience that Waverly was demonstrating was gone. “I think I have been more than fair letting you stay here scott free. I don’t ask anything of you. You should go back to your real life. All I’ve heard out of you is how you hate this small town. So...leave.”

“That’s not a good idea.”

“Then tell me why! Wynonna, please, I am literally begging you--no--I have been begging you to tell me what’s going on. You have dropped these little hints and you give me nothing. Frankly Wynonna, I am really sick of it.”

“I just need to sort a few more things out. Then I’ll leave.” Wynonna was starting to show panic on her face. Her eyes widened, almost like she was begging Waverly to reconsider.

“No. You leave now. Pack your shit. Or be honest with me and you can stay.”

“I can’t do that, Babygirl. There’s just too much...too much shit that I couldn’t explain if I tried.” Wynonna’s elbows were on her knees, face in her hands, muffling her words.

“I’d ask you to try but you’ve disappointed me for the last time.” Waverly, usually full of love and genuine compassion, was cold. She steeled her nerves, lips set in a thin line. She was done letting her older sister control her, whether she knew it or not. 

“You’re making a mistake.”

“I’m not, though. Pack your bags and leave. I’ll even help. Let it be my parting gift to you.”

Wynonna must have heard the cold change in Waverly’s voice, and the way she carried herself since she returned home because without another word, she shoved the clothes hanging off the couch in a duffle bag that was under the coffee table. 

Waverly, suddenly on the verge of tears escaped down the hall to her bedroom. The door was still cracked and she could hear Wynonna moving around. 

The last thing she heard before the door slammed was the large glass bottle of Haig Club whiskey that was still on the kitchen counter being dragged from it’s spot. 

**Love and Destruction**

_Inside the building her anger fanned._

Billie Holiday played from a small speaker in Nicole’s quaint home. She was making the final preparations in the kitchen for dinner. Wood crackled in the fireplace giving off a soft romantic glow. A light knock on the door informed her Waverly had arrived.

Nicole greeted the brunette with a quick kiss on the lips, taking her coat and hanging it up in the closet while Waverly washed up. The taller woman poured them both a glass of wine as they took a seat on the couch in front of the fireplace. The vegan lasagna gave off a pleasant aroma that filled the room.

“Nicole, whatever your cooking smells amazing!”

“Thanks, it’s a vegan lasagna. It should be done soon.”

“I can’t wait to taste it!”

The two women fell into small talk until the timer went off indicating dinner was ready, both moving about to set the table and sit down to eat.

“This is delicious Nicole, thank you for making such a thoughtful meal.”

“Anything for you,” the redhead replied shyly.

The conversation between the two was easy and varied. Nicole talked about the upcoming book club while Waverly plotted what food to serve at the event. Nicole admitted she had not yet started the book, while Waverly revealed she had finished it in one night and could not wait to discuss it.

_Oh the spectacle will be grand._

After dinner, Nicole began to clear the table.

“Can I ask you a question Nicole?” Waverly wondered.

“Absolutely.” Nicole stated as she started the dish water.

“Why did you become a firefighter?” 

_Ascending the stairs with gas can in hand._

Nicole set down the dishes in the sink, dried her hands, grabbed her wine glass while motioning for Waverly to do the same and led the woman to the couch again. Once comfortably seated she turned to face the woman.

“My father is the reason I became a firefighter.”

“I thought he was in construction?” Waverly tilted her head when she was confused, a trait that Nicole found very endearing.

“He was. My father and I were very close. He used to take me camping all of the time. We spent many summers traipsing about the woods, exploring and bonding. My mother was too refined for such activities, so it was just the two of us. I think he worried when I became a teenager I would be less inclined to go with him, but those trips meant so much to both of us. The summer I turned 16, we went to our favorite forest for a multi-day hiking trip. On the second day, a lightning strike set off a fire that rapidly spread towards our campsite. We raced to the vehicle to escape. We made it to a small logging town before the fire overtook us. Firefighters worked relentlessly to protect the town and its people, but 23 people lost their lives, my father one of them.”

Tears glistened in Nicole’s eyes as she continued.

_Inside the bedroom a trail of liquid sets the stage._

“I never wanted to feel as helpless as I did that day, so I made it my mission to become a firefighter so that I would have the necessary skills to save others.”

Waverly set down her wineglass and pulled Nicole into a tight embrace.

“I’m so sorry Nicole. I can’t imagine what that must have been like to endure.” Waverly said as she gently rubbed the woman’s back.

After a few moments, Nicole pulled away slightly and looked into Waverly’s hazel eyes.

“Losing a parent is never easy, but the way he passed changed the whole trajectory of my life. I wanted to be a police officer in high school, but fate had different plans for me. My mother slipped into depression and we struggled for a while. Volunteering at the local fire department gave me back a sense of control, well that and therapy. 

Sometimes we get thrown a curveball, but I don’t regret the path I chose because it has led to some pretty amazing things…. like you.”

“Well I guess the same can be said for me. Without losing Gus, I never would have come back to PineCliff and met you, and you are the best unexpected gift on my life’s detour.”

“I feel the same Waves,” Nicole whispered as she pulled the brunette in for a kiss. 

“Now let me get this kitchen cleaned up so we can relax,” Nicole said.

“Oh no honey, you cooked, so I will clean. Those are the rules.” Waverly demanded.

Nicole chuckled and responded. “We will do it as a team.”

“Fine, but I’ll wash and you dry,” Waverly instructed, leaning in for one more kiss.

Nicole stood up and went into the washroom to retrieve some dish towels while Waverly put away the food. Coming out of the room her phone rang, and she stepped outside to answer it.

_Now in the kitchen alone with her rage._

A few moments later, she walked back inside to the sounds of Waverly singing along to the song playing. Her voice was perfectly suited for it and it mesmerized the redhead. The brunette’s hips swayed back and forth to the music as she rinsed off a plate.

Nicole came up from behind and put her hands around the woman and began moving with her, placing a few kisses on her neck.

“Who was on the phone?” Waverly inquired.

“Bobby O’Malley confirming he was taking my on call shift for the department so that I would be able to spend the whole evening with you as you see fit,” Nicole responded playfully as she continued to trail kisses along the shorter woman’s neck.

“I could get used to this,” Waverly mumbled as her body responded to Nicole’s lips upon her skin.

The brunette pushed back into the woman momentarily before spinning around, nudging the faucet slightly while dropping the dish back in the water, causing it to slosh back and forth.

_Splashing, splashing all over the floor._

She grabbed the back of Nicole’s neck, clutching a fist full of her beautiful red locks and pushed her lips against the redhead’s in a searing kiss. Nicole reacted by placing her hands on Waverly’s hips and returned the kiss with exuberance. The two oscillated between passionate and fevered kisses until they tumbled to the kitchen floor.

_The empty gas can crashed, thrown into a door._

Waverly, lying on top of Nicole, ran her tongue along the redhead’s bottom lip, the other woman opened slightly to allow their tongues to meet. Playful and erotic, the two traded electricfying kisses puncutated by just enough tongue. Unconsciously Nicole bucked upward causing the brunette to moan. Waverly began to grind into the redhead as she gently sucked the skin on her slender neck. Nicole was getting wet.

“Stop! Stop for a moment,” Nicole squealed in both pleasure and confusion.

“What? Did I do something wrong?” Waverly queried, confidence fading fast.

“No, I’m just wet.” 

“I thought that was the point?” Waverly quipped, sitting up into the redhead’s lap.

“From you yes, from the water overflowing the sink, not so much.” Nicole chuckled.

Waverly turned her gaze to the water and bubbles trickling down the cabinet doors. In their fervor they forgot the water was not shut off and Nicole now lay in a sudsy pool. 

_A match struck, a flame created._

Waverly stood up and shut the tap off and then helped Nicole up off the ground. The entire left side of her was sopping wet.

“Well that was a mood killer,” Waverly whined.

“Eh, mopping can be sexy,” Nicole stated as she opened the closet containing her cleaning supplies.

“Let me help,” Waverly said as she started soaking up the water with a mop. Nicole drained the sink and quickly wiped down the counter and cabinet. Nicole’s left pant leg and shirt were clinging to her side, drenched enough for droplets of water to fall upon the floor where Waverly had just mopped.

“Go change your clothes in the bathroom. You are dripping all over my clean floor,” Waverly playfully teased Nicole.

A sexy smirk formed on the redhead’s face as she grabbed the brunette and pulled her close.

“So you still want me in clothes?” Nicole joked, while caressing Waverly’s cheek. The brunette shuddered under the touch and suggestive look the delectable woman was giving her. 

“Nicole, I want nothing more than to feast my eyes upon every inch of your toned physique,” Waverly responded breathlessly as she grasped the redhead’s shirt and moved to unbutton it. 

The redhead’s breathing quickened at the power move, but she placed her hands on top of the brunette’s momentarily.

“Wait..Waves are you sure?” Nicole stuttered.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything. You do things to me Nicole and I would very much like to do things to you, that is if you’ll let me.” Waverly winked as she noted color flushing the woman’s cheeks.

The two gazed into each other’s eyes, pupils blown with desire.

_Ignited, illuminating how her heart so hated._

Nicole tilted her head up faintly, granting permission. Waverly methodically began to unbutton the shirt. The redhead stared into the brunette’s hazel eyes dancing with want. She licked her lips and took a deep breath in nervous anticipation.

The garment was dropped to the floor, revealing a lacy purple bra. Waverly brushed her fingers against Nicole’s exposed stomach and felt the muscles contract. Satisfied with the reaction, she placed a purposeful kiss just above the redhead’s right breast. Tracing the contours of Nicole’s body, she gradually slid down until she rested on her knees before the woman. With a glance up to ensure she was free to proceed, she undid the clasp of Nicole’s jeans and worked them off. Gliding her hand up one leg and down the other, the sensual touch made the redhead tremble. Now left only in her bra and silk boxers, Nicole motioned for Waverly to rise.

The brunette began a slow creep upwards dragging one finger seductively against the delicate skin of her abdomen. Nicole put two fingers beneath Waverly’s chin and leaned in to capture her lips.

_Flames began their dance across the space._

The light from the fireplace illuminated the space as Nicole guided Waverly to the bed, gently laying her on her back. Waverly’s pleading eyes gave permission for what Nicole had been waiting to do since the night began. Undressing her one article of clothing at a time, Nicole explored Waverly. She looped her fingers through the delicate lace of the brunette’s panties and worked them down. Waverly moaned and arched her back, turning Nicole on even more. She leaned over Waverly and planted a gentle kiss on her collarbone. Waverly’s eyes closed in ecstasy. 

She lips trailed down the smooth skin to her belly, where she planted more kisses on her hip bones. Waverly was perfect. There was no other way to describe her. Even the scar on her hip was delectable, and Nicole planted a last gentle kiss before she moved to the brunette’s core. 

_Licking the walls, the inferno raced._

Waverly could feel the warmth of her girlfriend’s breath on her inner thigh, working her way, up, up, until she was almost...then another tender kiss. Waverly wanted to grab both sides of her face and direct her where to go, but in this moment, nothing was more pleasurable than what Nicole was doing with her mouth. She could feel herself becoming wet with anticipation.

Nicole’s nose touched her clit, sending Waverly into pure euphoria. Her body bucked as Nicole’s tongue licked the sensitive flesh of Waverly’s core. Nicole snaked a hand up Waverly’s body, grasping her breast. Waverly wove her fingers into the flaming red hair as she rode Nicole’s mouth. 

_Sheets on the bed melting from heat._

Just before she climaxed, Nicole rose, dragging her tongue over Waverly’s stomach. She pulled Waverly up, latching onto the nipple of one of her breasts. She cupped the other, massaging it while lavishing the other with her tongue. 

“I want you.” Waverly whispered, head tossed back.

Nicole reached behind her, threaded her fingers into the long brown hair. She bit her collarbone and finally Waverly couldn’t stand it any longer. She reached behind to undo the redhead’s bra. She pushed Nicole back gently and saw toned abs and a beautiful lanky body. She could look at her forever, but the need was too much. Nicole on her back, Waverly explored every inch of Nicole’s physique, her wandering hands admiring her toned muscles. She placed her mouth on each nipple, biting gently and sucking until they were erect. Nicole moaned in pleasure. Waverly trailed well placed kisses which lead her down further to her true desire. Nicole raked her short nails along Waverly’s back in response to the woman’s teasing.

“Oh my god...you’re incredible,” Nicole whispered.

Waverly’s hair cascaded down, tickling Nicole’s hypersensitive skin. Waverly tentatively placed a kiss just above the tuft of red hair, breathing in the scent of her lover. Nicole’s thighs quivered with Waverly so close to her center. Waverly used her tongue to explore Nicole’s fold, gently sucking on each lip while briefly dragging her tongue against her clit. This caused the redhead to buck slightly against Waverly’s mouth, eager for more contact. 

“You’re doing great babe.” Nicole cooed.

Waverly responded to the encouragement by pulling her girlfriend’s swollen bud into her mouth, sucking and twirling her tongue. With one finger, she dipped into Nicole’s center and began to pulse in and out while her tongue continued to lavish the woman’s clit. Soon Nicole was near climax, Waverly inserted a second digit, quickening her pace to help bring her over the edge. Nicole’s breath heaving as contractions reverberated throughout her body. 

“I’m not a tease like you.” Waverly whispered as she climbed back up Nicole’s body. I want you in me now.” 

“Yes, ma’am.”

There was a fire in her eyes that Nicole mirrored. Waverly took Nicole’s hand and placed it between her legs as an invitation. 

Nicole didn’t hesitate and she brushed Waverly’s folds with her fingers, inserting one finger into the wetness, dripping with desire. Waverly bucked over Nicole’s hand as she pulled Waverly to her to take her lips in a greedy kiss. Waverly moaned in between kisses, riding the fingers inside her. Nicole’s thumb was on her clit, stroking in rhythm. 

_Kitchen ablaze, thick smoke does greet._

Waverly came in an explosion of pleasure. It worked its way and warmed her to the core until she could no longer stand it, her body rocked with spasms. Waverly crashed on top of Nicole, spent for the moment. Their lips met as Nicole rolled Waverly onto her back. Limbs entangled, they gazed at one another lost in their lust. 

Nicole stroked Waverly’s breasts and pinched the hardened nipples that were grazing her own chest. She then straddled Waverly, and raised up onto her knees. After a quick glance for permission, Nicole inched her way up Waverly’s body, coming to rest above her eager mouth. 

Waverly flicked her tongue against the engorged clit and the redhead pulled back a bit, still sensitive.

“Want me to stop?” Waverly teased, sucking the button between her lips and releasing it.

“No,” Nicole moaned in response, her back arched as she placed one hand on the bed, and one hand on Waverly’s thigh to brace for her second orgasm. 

Waverly took the invitation and ran her tongue along her swollen lips. She could taste Nicole’s sweet wetness as her tongue took a broad stroke. She took two fingers and gently inserted them, rubbing the delicate inside of the redhead. 

Nicole lost herself and began to ride Waverly’s mouth. The sensations were nothing like she had ever felt before and she had no idea it could even feel this incredible.

_Pleasure and pain as it all is destroyed._

Nicole took her hands and placed them on her own breasts, pinching the tender nipples. The feeling of pain coursed through her, colliding with the pleasure that Waverly was creating with that beautiful mouth...she could no longer resist the orgasm that was brimming inside her. It crashed over her like a tidal wave of warmth, through her entire body, surging even to her fingertips. 

The two lovers collapsed onto the ruffled sheets, placing delicate kisses on each other, tasting each other, tasting themselves. The sensual lovemaking had cast them into a sleepy daze. Waverly lay her head in the crook of Nicole’s arm, placing her own just under Nicole’s exposed breasts. She had pulled a soft blanket from it’s forgotten place on the floor, discarded in a heap at the foot of the bed.

The women closed their eyes as a peaceful calm came over them. Neither felt the need to speak; there was no need to ruin this beautiful moment with words that could never do justice to what they had just felt. Nicole looked at the woman she was holding in her arms, wondering how anyone could ever be as perfect as Waverly.

_One more glance before disappearing into the void._

**Nicole**

Waverly and Nicole lay intertwined on the bed, basking in the afterglow of their intimate connection. For Nicole it was more than she could ask for for the first time with a new partner. It was passionate and tender yet filled with hunger. She hoped Waverly felt the same way. Lost in thought, the redhead did not at first hear the knock on the door. Waverly awake, pulled Nicole closer upon hearing the second knock.

“Just ignore it,” she pleaded.

“Waves, I’ve got to answer it,” Nicole replied as she peeled off a pouty Waverly and grabbed her robe, headed for the door.

Standing before her was a disheveled Wynonna Earp. 

“I need to talk to my sister!” She exclaimed pushing past a befuddled Nicole. Wynonna eyed the bed where a very naked Waverly was, covered only at the waist by messy sheets. 

“I see now why you haven’t answered the 9,000 calls and voicemails I’ve left you the past three hours.”

The look of anger furrowed around the brunette’s eyes as she snapped.

“What part of leave me alone and never fucking contact me again did you not understand Wy!” Waverly bellowed as she slid out of bed to grab a t-shirt of Nicole’s to wear. 

“Baby girl, I’m sorry. It’s all gone,” Wynonna whispered.

“What’s gone?”

“Stagecoach, your apartment. Did you not hear the fire trucks?” Wynonna inquired, looking back and forth at the two women for some sign of recognition.

Nicole remembered hearing sirens earlier in the night and reveling in the fact she was not on call briefly before a second round of fun with Waverly. Now though, the pangs of guilt started to ebb into her heart as she realized the implications for Waverly. She made her way towards the woman.

“What the fuck did you do Wynonna!! How could you!” Waverly spat as she flew by Nicole and started pounding Wynonna in the chest. 

“It wasn’t me, I swear!” Wynonna countered. 

“Like hell it wasn’t! Hours after I accused you of being the arsonist and threw you out, my...everything bursts into flames! How dumb do you think I am?” Waverly moaned as she continued to thrash her sister, tears streaming down her face in a torrent. 

“You are the smartest person I know baby girl. Deep down I know you know I didn’t do this. I would never hurt you like that.”

Wynonna attempted to ensconce her sister in a comforting embrace, but the woman pushed back creating some distance between them. 

“Respect me enough to not lie to me you scoundrel! You drink the very whiskey found at the crime scenes! You’ve been begging me to sell and well when that didn’t work, you set my shit ablaze! You always disappeared from the apartment for hours on end, probably plotting since you don’t have a job!”

Nicole watched the two women with curiosity and concern. She had no idea that Waverly thought her sister was responsible for the fires or that she was connected to the whiskey, but that explained the bizarre reaction Waverly had when she told her earlier today.

Wynonna’s eyes glistened and pain swept across her face.

“I have spent my whole life trying to protect you. I’ve been trying to piece my life back together. Where did I go all day? Part of those excursions were to therapy, the others were looking for someone.” Wynonna replied, sadness tinged her voice.

“That is such bullshit! You have never been to therapy. I begged you to go for years and now you expect me to believe you up and decided to go all on your own?” Waverly admonished.

“Yes,” Wynonna choked out.

“You are such a liar!!” Waverly screamed before crumbling to the floor in utter exhaustion.

Nicole joined her on the floor.

“She’s not lying about therapy Waves,” Nicole responded, placing her hand on the brunette’s lower back in tenderness. 

“Why are you defending her?” Waverly’s voice was small and unsure.

“I’m not honey, just stating a fact. Though Wynonna was at Gus’s, it wasn’t the first time I’d met her. I couldn’t tell you because of confidentiality. We met in group therapy Waves. I started therapy to help work through my anxiety right before I began volunteering at the fire station. Wynonna has been in therapy at least that long.” Nicole revealed. 

She looked into those hazel eyes struggling so hard with the information, glancing back to Wynonna and giving her a faint nod. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were in therapy? Either of you?” Waverly questioned. 

“I never intended to hide it, just with everything going on it never came up. If I’m being honest, a part of me was afraid that you would see me differently, that maybe you would question the faith you had in me as an investigator, a girlfriend,” Nicole sheepishly admitted.

“And you?” Waverly inquired looking directly at her sister.

“Same baby girl.. I was afraid if I didn’t make progress in therapy, it would just be one more thing I failed at in your books. I wasn’t ready for that disappointment,” Wynonna mumbled. 

“I would never be disappointed in you for trying Wy.” 

Her sister shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, unsure of what to say next. The tension has dissipated some but still clung just beneath the surface. 

“Is it really all destroyed Wy?”

“I’m afraid so, but God as my witness, I will hunt to the ends of the earth for the person responsible for causing you so much pain,” Wynonna declared.

Waverly gave in just then to the grief and balled, tucking herself into Nicole as the woman held her tight. Nothing was said for several minutes, each woman lost in their own thoughts. Only the sound of Waverly crying and the occasional crackle from the fireplace of what remained of the fire from earlier could be heard.

“You said you were looking for someone Wynonna, who?” Nicole spoke, finally breaking the silence. 

With a sad expression, Wynonna sighed. She had been dreading this moment for quite some time. Nothing Waverly thought to be true about her life would remain once all was revealed. Chancing a glance at her sister, she saw expectant eyes boring into her soul.  
  


“I’ve been looking for Willa. She’s the arsonist.”


	8. Conflagration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING 
> 
> This chapter explores some of the why’s for what is happening to the Earps. There are mentions of abuse, but not in great detail or graphic.

Nicole

Standing in the ashen remains of what was once Waverly’s home and business, Nicole shook in anger. She wanted to punch someone and punish the person responsible. The investigator in her knew Wynonna was not yet cleared as a suspect, but had presented a compelling argument as to why her sister Willa could be responsible. She also knew that given her relationship with the youngest Earp she would likely not be allowed to continue the official investigation, but she would be damned if she didn’t get to the bottom of this mystery by any means necessary. She would go to Nedley after they left the site and discuss the way forward. 

She held Waverly’s hand as she surveyed what little remained of the interior of the building. Virtually nothing from the inside would be salvageable and that both infuriated Nicole and hollowed out her heart as she saw the absolute shock and devastation that was etched in Waverly’s expression. Suddenly her girlfriend released her hand and dropped to the floor. Sifting through the ashes with gloves she pulled a metal object close as she rocked back and forth. Her beloved antique coffee press, the glass shattered and copper discolored from the heat and soot. With pleading eyes, Waverly was silently asking Nicole for permission to take the press. It was still an active crime scene and technically nothing was to be removed, but it was painful to be on the receiving end of that look and so Nicole acquiesced with a small nod.

Helping Waverly up, she guided the woman out of the remains of her store and home. One fire truck crew remained, securing the scene and checking for hotspots. Nicole opened the door of her truck for Waverly to get in and then headed to the driver’s side. A firefighter was jogging towards her with something in his hand. Bobby O’Malley, the man who had taken her shift last night, stopped just before the redhead, his dirty face streaked with sweat.

“Lieutenant, when the boys and I arrived the fire was roaring. We were able to make a quick entry because we knew Waverly lived above and honestly I know you two are close and we were terrified both of you were here. Anyway, Waverly is always bringing treats and coffee down to the fire station and we tried real hard to salvage anything.” he said sheepishly as he handed her an item.

Tears formed at the edges of Nicole’s eyes. Gratitude filled her heart for what the men had done.

“Thank you Bobby. I know this will mean the world to her.” the redhead replied as she patted the man on the shoulder.

“Sorry we couldn’t do more.” the man said, sadness shown on his face.

“You did good Bobby. You and the boys went above and beyond and did all you could. I know the Waverly appreciates your efforts, and so do I.”

With a quick nod to the man, she opened the truck door and climbed in. She turned towards Waverly and gave a quick sigh and then handed her the item she had just been given. The edges were curled and brown from the intensity of the fire. The item was no longer flat but wavy from water damage. Waverly gripped it as if it were life itself, a tear dripping onto the photo of Gus that had hung inside the cafe.

Waverly

Waverly was still clutching the picture to her chest, sobbing, as Nicole pulled the truck into the curved driveway in front of the inn. The coffee press was sitting on the bench seat between the women. They had only been at the scene of the fire for maybe twenty minutes as Nicole rushed around to members of her team, presumably checking on the status of the fire and making sure everyone had made it out unscathed. But every minute that Waverly was in front of her crumbling livelihood, sunk her into a deeper pit. Fire trucks were blocking both ends of Pioneer Street, so Nicole had pulled her truck onto the sidewalk to skirt around them, landing them about 50 yards away from the fire that was now smouldering. All of this way lost on Waverly though. She had tunnel vision. She didn’t hear the shouts of orders being given by various firefighters. She didn’t see the few spectators that had been drawn in by the sirens and the flashing lights. She didn’t even notice Wynonna, who was standing a few yards away from her, hands over her mouth in grief. 

When Nicole finally did return to Waverly’s side, she steered her back to the truck. A gruff, soot covered man came over to speak briefly with Nicole before she too was in the truck. Nicole had handed her the brittle photograph and Waverly could no longer contain the pain and the rage and the utter contempt she felt towards Willa. It all boiled over in the hot tears streaming down her cheeks. She screamed a guttural yell at the windshield, hoping that this cathartic release would somehow make it better. There was nothing that could make her understand this. 

Her vision was clouded by tears as Nicole held her gingerly but firmly by the arm, leading her up the back flight of stairs to the largest suite at the inn. Waverly tried in vain to tell Nicole she couldn’t stay here, not when she’d be taking a room away from a potential guest. Nicole wouldn’t hear anything of it, of course, and this set Waverly crying anew. 

“Baby, I’m going to have Wynonna stay with you. Is that alright?” Nicole said softly. 

Waverly wiped the tears away from her eyes with the hand not holding the photo.   
Confusion struck her then, because up until that moment, she thought they had been alone in the suite. Unbeknownst to her, Wynonna had followed them up the stairs. 

“I think you have more to talk about. Maybe you guys can put your heads together and figure out a motive or some reason that your sister would do this.”

Waverly wanted to reach out to Nicole, wanted to stop her from leaving, but all the words got stuck in her throat. Nicole was like her safety net. Without Nicole, she felt like she was free falling into oblivion. 

Her home was gone, her business was gone, and now she didn’t know if she could even trust her sister. She sat down on the edge of the bed, cradling the picture in her hands. She felt the bed dip beside her, felt Wynonna's shoulder against hers.

“For what it’s worth, babygirl, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. This is what I’ve been working against this whole time.” Wynonna said, her voice thick with tears of her own.

Waverly was surprised by the emotions coming from her sister. For her part, Wynonna looked as stricken by this whole ordeal as Waverly. Then again, after tonight, nothing was going to surprise her. 

“Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Would you have believed me if I did?” 

Waverly slowly shook her head, more tears falling into her lap. 

“That’s what I thought. I figured if I could get between you and Willa, I had a chance at stopping this from happening.”

Waverly tried to suppress the anger that was bubbling forward. So much could’ve been solved by Wynonna’s honesty. “Tell me all you know, and I’ll tell you everything I’ve learned.” 

“Wait, have you gone back to researching?” Wynonna asked.

Waverly found a small smile playing on her lips. “Yes,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. She reached over to set the photo on the nightstand, propped up against the lamp.

“She was so full of life, wasn’t she?” Waverly asked her sister. 

Both women looked at the picture in silence, memorializing this moment in time. 

“I miss her too. I think she was the only one to ever understand me.”

“Wynonna,” Waverly began, shifting so that she could face her sister. “Help me understand. Stop trying to protect me from whatever this is. I’m not a child anymore. You can’t keep doing this forever.” 

Wy rubbed her hands against the fabric of her pants. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” she said with a humorless chuckle.

“The beginning?” 

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “The beginning of this is painful. Are you sure you want to know?”

Waverly took a deep breath and nodded.

“Willa and I….our daddy. Waverly you were just a baby back then and we couldn’t…”  
Waverly took her sister’s hands in her own. 

“Daddy wasn’t the kind man you remember, Waverly,” the older woman began. 

“Who do you think I got my alcoholism from? Well when daddy drank he came at whoever was closest. Sometimes that was momma, sometimes that was Willa or I. But never you. You were just a baby...he would’ve…”

The horror of what Wynonna was saying dawned on Waverly like fireworks exploding in the sky. She was stricken with the truth that was kept from her all these years and part of her couldn’t believe it was true. She never saw that side of their father.

“We couldn’t let him near you so most of the time, momma would take you and hide, leaving Willa and I to dance with the devil.”

Waverly felt immense sadness for Wynonna but also for Willa. 

“One night he was on a rampage— momma had gone somewhere, I don’t remember where— and I took you and ran. We hid in the barn in the stacks of hay. I left Willa to fend for herself and that’s the night everything changed…”

Fresh tears streamed down Waverly’s face as she listened in silence to the story. Her heart was breaking for her sister.

“I don’t know what happened in the house that night, but Willa was never the same. In the weeks after, she wouldn’t talk to me. Hell, she wouldn’t even look at me. Whenever daddy was sober, he’d hold you. It was almost like I could see the rage building in her and I didn’t know if it was directed at him or you. I knew she was beginning to resent you. You were the baby and daddy clearly had a soft spot for you.”

“That’s all I remember of him, really. He was always so kind to me. He’d sing me silly songs and carry me around on his shoulders.” Waverly recounted.

“I think that’s all Willa wanted. It’s all I wanted. We wanted the daddy that you got to see.”

“So what changed?”

“Something in her snapped. One night she set the barn on fire.”

“Wait, Willa was one one that set it on fire? I thought it was an accident?”

“It was no accident, babygirl. Daddy had just polished off his last bottle of liquor. That’s when he’d come looking for us. I hid you out in the barn, but this time I came back for Willa. I begged her to just come and hide too. Daddy was on the warpath and I knew it would’ve been an especially bad beating if he caught any of us.” 

Waverly let out a quiet gasp.

“Before I knew it, Willa was running out the house, toward the barn and I thought she was going to hide. But then I saw she had something in her hand. Daddy caught me by the arm before I could run after her.” 

Wynonna was silent for a moment, remembering that night. 

“Time seemed to stand still, then. All of a sudden there was a loud whoosh and the sky seemed to light up outside. That was enough to confuse daddy, and he let me go. I remember running out to see the barn bursting into flame. All that dry hay and old lumber went up in seconds like kindling. I screamed because I knew you were inside. Willa was just standing there, watching the fire grow, the heat was burning our faces. I screamed at her that you were inside and she didn’t care. I wanted to hurt him, she said. When I looked at her, she wasn’t there anymore. The Willa I remembered was gone. She was replaced by rage. I tried to go in but there was so much smoke, and you weren’t where I left you. I heard the sirens, and then there were firefighters there and I tried to yell but my lungs were filling with smoke. You were almost out the door, but I couldn’t see you.” 

“That is why I keep having the nightmare of being in a fire. It wasn’t a dream, it was real. I saw a picture of you and I with Randy Nedley and knew that we had been there. I don’t remember being in the barn.” Waverly murmured.

“I only learned later that Willa had started the barn on fire because she wanted to burn that old corvette.”

“Daddy’s corvette...he did love that thing more than us. That I remember. That car was his baby.”

“In Willa’s twisted mind, she thought that would stop the abuse. You were just collateral damage. Daddy loved you more too, so she didn’t really see the need to save you.”

“So she’s been around here this whole time?” Waverly said, her heart beginning to race.

“Yes. I’ve been tracking her for awhile now.”  
Waverly narrowed her eyes. “You’ve kept tabs on her this whole time.”

Wynonna hung her head and nodded. “She went to a residential treatment facility. After the fire, she was a danger to the family and momma and daddy thought that was the best course of action. They kept it quiet. After that, they sent us to live with Gus and Curtis.” 

Waverly fit the pieces together in her mind. 

“And when daddy left, momma was never the same. I guess Gus and Curtis gave us the most normal childhood they could under the circumstances. I always thought Willa just ran away. No one ever told me differently and that was the only way I could process it.”

“I’m so sorry, Babygirl.” Wynonna whispered.

Waverly pulled her sister into a tight embrace. 

“So is it her apartment in Toronto I found?” Waverly asked as she pulled back from Wy. 

“Yes. It used to be mine before John and I were married. Then I let Willa live there. I felt sorry for her...and if I didn’t let her live there, who the hell knows where she would’ve ended up.”

Waverly nodded in agreeance. “Did she ever ask about me?” She was ashamed at herself for asking such a question, but the child in her needed to know. 

A deep frown crossed Wynonna’s face. 

“She’s not the same.” 

Waverly knew that was all she would get out of Wynonna on that subject. It seemed like she was still protecting Waverly afterall. 

“There's one thing I still don’t understand.”

“Shoot.”

Waverly recounted her interaction with the Clanton woman. “Why are you sneaking around on their property?”

“Fuck.” Wynonna hissed.

“What is it?” The growing suspicion made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

“I have a feeling I know where she is, but first I’d like to talk to that Clanton.” 

Nicole 

Driving to the station to meet Chief Nedley, Nicole tried to collect her thoughts. Waverly meant the world to her and the fact that someone in her own family was likely the cause of such destruction and misery, sent her blood boiling. She was blessed with two parents who had loved her dearly and though her father had been taken from her far too soon, she still had had a splendid childhood. Nicole had wanted nothing more than to stay by Waverly’s side for support, but what little she had gleaned from Wynonna in therapy, it was a talk that needed to be between two sisters. She would have plenty of time to comfort and care for her girlfriend later. Now, she needed to focus on catching the culprit responsible for the mayhem that had unraveled Waverly’s life.

As she walked into the firehouse, her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Lieutenant Haught?”

“Yes?”

“This is Agent Dolls. I have the information you were looking for.”

“Thanks, what did you find?”

“Going back six months we found 18 individuals who have purchased the Haig Club brand of whiskey you were looking into. I sent you the list in the email, but I thought you should know given the investigation, one name stood out.” Dolls informed.

“Whose?” Nicole responded with anticipation and a tinge of dread.

“Wynonna Earp has purchased 15 bottles in the last six months. Given her relationship to the fires, I thought you would like to know.” Agent Dolls revealed.

Nicole sucked in her breath. She had been rooting for Wynonna, but the evidence mounting was not in her favor. She really needed to identify those fingerprints.

“Thanks Agent Dolls. Can I ask another favor?”

“I am at your disposal Lieutenant.” 

“Can you run a background check on Wynonna Earp and her sister Willa Earp. I want to know about arrests, convictions, anything you have on them. If they have juvenile records, I would like to know that too. We found two matching fingerprints at the fires, but nothing pinged in the system, though I am aware that the national database is limited. My research didn’t turn up a lot on Wynonna and I have just learned that Willa may be significant to the investigation. If you could explore some of the provincial and military databases I would be much obliged.” Nicole requested.

“I’m on it!”

“Thanks, I will send you Jeremy’s contact information so he can send you the digital prints for upload. I owe you one!” Nicole said in closing.

The woman wandered into her office to quickly print the list out that Agent Dolls had just sent over before going to see Chief Nedley.

Knocking on his door, Nicole found the man pouring over the latest crime scene photos. Stagecoach Coffee, her girlfriend’s home and business, reduced to burned timber and ash. It pained her to know what was lost, but the investigator in her hoped there would be clues left behind by the arsonist.

“Chief.”

“I was wondering when I would see you. Please take a seat.” He motioned to the couch tucked into a corner in the room.

“Let’s cut to the chase, there is no doubt that all of these fires are connected correct?”

“I have not examined the evidence from Waverly’s yet, but the odds are high that it is the same perpetrator.” Nicole said.

“Who are your suspects?”

“Wynonna Earp has a connection to the evidence as I just learned.” Nicole shared as she handed the Chief the information Agent Dolls had supplied. 

“Interesting.” 

“Wynonna claims her sister Willa is behind the arsons and blames her for the barn fire years ago, although I am starting to suspect it may just be a deflection.” Nicole surmised.

“Wynonna was telling you the truth, Willa started the barn fire.”

Nicole was a bit taken aback that Nedley was confirming this information. 

“I was the one that found the girls. Their parents begged the Chief back then to protect the identity of the culprit, in exchange they committed Willa to a mental hospital until she turned 18.” Nedley revealed.

“So why does the whole town blame Wynonna? 

“That girl became a hell raiser after the incident, though she was no angel before. Abuse in the Earp home was an open secret, but Ward was well connected so nothing was ever done to protect those girls. Most people assumed Willa had just run away, and Wynonna did nothing to dispel the rumors.” Nedley said with anger and regret in his voice.

“There is one other aspect of this case that bothers me.” Nicole mused.

“What’s that?” 

“Outside of being a friend to the Earps, I don’t understand why Shorty’s property was targeted?” Nicole admitted.

“I did some digging of my own Lieutenant, and though she might not know it, Waverly Earp will inherit Shorty’s estate upon his death. It appears someone might not be happy with that arrangement.” Nedley stated.

“I know I’m going to be pulled off this case because of my relationship with Waverly, but please tell me how I can still help. I cannot sit idly by.” Nicole begged. 

“I can’t have the investigation called into question if we hope to get a conviction, but I’ve no doubt you would pursue this on your own, so here’s what will happen.” Nedley said as he hatched the role she would play, becoming the liaison between the police department and lab. He would request another arson investigator to handle the physical evidence and reports. Nicole nodded in agreement and left the office.

Waverly

After making what felt like a million calls to the insurance company, Wynonna and Waverly headed out. Waverly’s Jeep pulled into the driveway of the Clanton house. Waverly had knots in her stomach. Everywhere she looked, she expected to see Willa. 

Wynonna took charge, knocking on the door. A teenage boy answered, still blurry-eyed with sleep. His dark hair hung down his forehead, and he swept it back with his hand. 

“Can I help you?” he asked in that disinterested voice teenagers used. 

Wynonna put her hand on her hips. “Yeah, actually. You can get your mom for me.”

“Mom,” he half-heartedly called over his shoulder. Leaving the door cracked, he walked away. 

“Fucking teenagers.” Wynonna mumbled, shaking her head.

Waverly and Wy could hear commotion coming from somewhere inside, then a woman’s voice incoherently muffled.

“What in the—get off my property.” The older woman spat when she saw the two standing on her porch.

“We just wanted to ask a few more—” Waverly tried before the Clanton woman interrupted. 

“You. I answered your questions the first time you were here and you got a lot of nerve bringing this thief onto my land!”

“Ma’am you have the wrong—”

“Get the hell of my porch, and you,” she yelled, stabbing her finger at Wynonna, “stop lurking around my land, stealing chicken eggs. I have a mind to report you to the police and if I see you one more time I’m going to actually aim my shotgun next time!”

“Alright, how about you lose the attitude and never talk to my sister like that again. If you’d rein in that temper, and let me speak, you’d realize I’m not the one stealing your precious eggs. What the fuck have you got back there, a golden goose?” Wynonna’s joke made her snicker, but the woman at the door was unmoved.

“Well then I’d like to know who it is. Sure looks like you, even dresses like you. Black jacket, black jeans, black boots…”

“Hey,” Wynonna said, insulted, “my style is classic and black is flattering on everyone. I can’t blame this mystery woman for having good taste.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “Anyhoo, the reason we were dropping by again was to see if you’d seen this person again recently, and maybe you could tell us what direction they come from.” 

The woman wrapped a coat around her shoulders as she shuffled out onto the porch, her slippers dragging on the wooden porch planks. 

“Follow me.”

The trio walked around the porch as it wrapped almost completely around the house. 

“There,” the Clanton woman announced, pointing. “She always comes from that direction. “Skirts the tree line like I can’t see her, then makes a beeline for the coop over there.” She pointed to another outbuilding.   
Waverly could see chickens roaming around the fenced area. “Those are some beautiful chickens.”

The Clanton woman turned toward Waverly. “Thank you. They’ve won three years running at the National Poultry Show.”

“Must be golden chickens then,” Wynonna said under her breath. 

Waverly jabbed her in the ribs with her elbow. “Thank you for showing us. I’m so sorry we had to bother you yet again. We wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important.”

“Well when you find whoever you’re looking for, tell them to stay the hell away from me, would ya?”

“Absolutely,” Waverly assured the woman. 

They turned to leave, but before they got to the Jeep, the woman called out to Waverly. 

“I’m sorry to hear about your cafe. Oh don’t look so surprised. It’s a small town and word travels fast. Pretty sure my son has it bad for one of your employees...Rachel I think is her name.”

Waverly smiled at the sentiment. “Thank you, Mrs. Clanton.”

Waverly looked over at her sister sitting in the passenger seat. She looked troubled. 

“What’s on your mind?”

Wynonna fidgeted with the fringe on the arm of her jacket. 

“I know where she is. I know where Willa is.”

Arsonist 

The smell of smoke permeated the small hideout. It clung to her hoodie, hair and skin. She had not bothered to change yet, still riding on adrenaline. She hadn’t dared lurk at the scene this time, not sure she would have been able to control herself if she’d caught sight of her ignorant sister. Still she couldn’t linger long as she had some place to be, so she quickly changed and headed back out into the night.

Nicole

Exhausted beyond measure, Nicole quickly called Waverly for an update before a relaxing shower and cat nap. She knew if she was going to be of any use she couldn’t continue to run on fumes.

Waverly

The past few days had been a rollercoaster of emotions for Waverly. She was trying to understand why her experience of childhood had been so vastly different from her sisters. As a child she had looked up to Willa and Wynonna so much. She always thought them brave and strong. Waverly was small for her age and she remembered both older sisters would defend her against the kids who bullied her. They continuously made her feel safe. She realized now how much it had cost them to do so.

It explained so much about her fractured relationship with Wynonna, but the idea that Willa, who she had followed around like a little puppy dog, could have so much hate for her, just didn’t compute.

Wynonna had become closed off again since their visit to Mrs. Clanton. 

“Why can’t we go find the treehouse now Wynonna?” Waverly protested.

“Baby girl, it’s far too dangerous. Willa is like a caged animal right now. If we go storming the castle, someone could get hurt.” Wynonna countered.

Of course, Waverly knew her sister was right, but it didn’t help calm her nerves. Without Stagecoach, she needed something to occupy her time.

Michelle had been gracious enough to provide the opportunity by asking for help with the basement inventory. Waverly was currently in the basement with Michelle, who was busy itemizing everything on the tablet that Nicole had bought for the inn. It had proved useful as a tool when integrating all their systems onto one platform. Michelle had geeked out when Nicole had presented her with the tablet, which gave her access to pending reservations, current reservations, and daily task lists for all employees. Currently, she was deep in thought, punching numbers into the spreadsheet she created. 

“I’m excited to finally be able to meet your boyfriend this week. Champ sounds like such a great guy.” Waverly said as she reorganized linens. 

“Oh he is. Since his injury at work, he has been going stir crazy.”

“I know the feeling.” Waverly muttered.

“He’s so bored that I come home to a clean house and a cooked meal...it’s disturbing, really.” Michele chuckled.

The two women worked happily throughout the morning completing the inventory. They broke for an early lunch, then Waverly started prepping for the Thanksgiving dinner. The two women had a quick quarrel over Michelle insisting to help. Waverly didn’t think it appropriate as she was a guest at this dinner.  
Michelle won and the two whipped up some pies and side dishes while the radio played in the background. A guest or two wandered in when they heard singing coming from the kitchen. It then turned into an impromptu cooking lesson, with the guests gleefully participating in the fun. Waverly lightly dusted the countertop with flour so that the guests could roll out the pastry dough, while she had the one little boy who had come down with his mother cutting fun shapes out of the dough to decorate the tops of the pies. 

It sparked an idea in Waverly. Perhaps she could provide holiday baking classes to guests and the community. Excitement flashed across her face as she thought of the possibilities. She kept in touch with Rachel and a few other employees from Stagecoach Cafe. Perhaps she and other staff from Stagecoach would be interested. She could pay them for the work under the table so as not to interfere with their unemployment, but golly she missed her people. They were like family and she worried about them more than she worried about herself. She would definitely ask Nicole tonight. 

With all of the unexpected help, Waverly’s tasks were completed early. So, after a brief meeting about the book club, Waverly retreated to the suite to relax. She knew she had some thinking to do about what lay ahead.

Nicole 

There was a lull in the investigation, Investigator Shapiro, Nicole’s replacement, was still awaiting lab results collected from the most recent fire and Nicole had not heard back from Agent Dolls regarding his inquiries into the Earp sisters. Thanksgiving was tomorrow and Waverly was consumed by the task of hosting the holiday at the inn. She had just finalized the guest list and was going shopping for some last minute items, having finished making the pies. She was happy that the festivities were providing Waverly with a distraction. 

The past few weeks had been extremely hard on the woman. She had to do some mediating between the two sisters in regards to the investigation. Waverly was ready to storm the woods in search of Willa, but Wynonna was surprisingly taking a more conservative approach. Nicole, for her part, was still wary of Wynonna and didn’t want her interference jeopardizing anything, especially if she was involved in the fires. Nicole was still entertaining the idea that both sisters were in cahoots, but with each passing day it was getting harder to sustain that theory. 

Waverly had seemed to warm slightly towards her older sister and Wynonna had become fiercely protective of the younger Earp. The woman was popping up at the most inconvenient times, straining the intimacy of the new couple. Nicole had a plan for this evening to circumvent any Wynonna Interuptus to finally enjoy some alone time with her girlfriend.

Nicole woke from her power nap and headed a few blocks down from the inn to pick up a few gifts for Waverly. The brunette had lost   
everything and it would take years to replace it all. Waverly’s wardrobe was sparse and Nicole wanted her to feel empowered and beautiful this evening. Wynonna had helped Nicole pick out a stunning dress, though she didn’t know the occasion. Nicole had chosen a pair of diamond earrings to match the dress and was collecting both from a new boutique in town.

As the woman headed back to her inn, her thoughts drifted to the future. With Waverly’s home and business gone, she was not sure if she was enough to keep her anchored to PineCliff. She knew the woman had dreams deferred and would never stand in the way if she chose to leave. She just wasn’t sure what a long distance relationship would mean for them or if Waverly would even be interested in such an endeavor. So it was with a hint of trepidation that she walked through the door in search of her girlfriend.

Waverly

After a brief protest, Waverly had packed an overnight bag, which was laying on the narrow back seat of the truck, next to Nicole’s duffel bag and a garment bag. Waverly was anxious about hosting Thanksgiving and did not think they could spare the time to take an overnight excursion into the countryside, but one look at Nicole’s excitement made it hard to say no. 

Curiosity was starting to get the best of her, but she promised Nicole she wouldn’t peek in the bag until they got to their destination. Which, of course, she also didn’t know where they were going. Waverly was glad to have this alone time with her girlfriend and she loved a good surprise. 

Then, she felt guilty for feeling happy. There was no doubt that she was grieving. 

Everything she was working towards had been destroyed. The recent loss was still glaring in the back of her mind, but Waverly needed to put that aside and be present and thankful for what she still had. Right now, in this moment, that was Nicole. To ground herself in the now, she reached over the center console and grabbed her girlfriend’s hand in her own, giving it a squeeze. 

Nicole was dutifully concentrating on the road as it had started snowing.

“How are you doing?” Waverly asked, checking in on the pensive redhead. 

“Mmm.” Nicole hummed and smiled. “I’m wonderful, honey. I can’t wait to get there.”

“How much longer?” 

“Maybe about thirty minutes. Forty if this snow doesn’t stop.”

They had left PineCliff at noon, Nicole stating that they needed to get there before dark so Waverly could really appreciate where they were going. Now two hours north of PineCliff, the scenery had changed drastically and there was no cell service. It had snowed already here, wherever they were. Waverly hadn’t seen a sign for quite some time. White blanketed the landscape accentuating the greenery of the pines. The lakes were frozen over and covered as well, the only evidence of their presence were large treeless areas that emerged as they drove past. 

The pair sat in comfortable silence, every so often broken with singing or a random game of twenty questions. Finally, Nicole slowed and turned onto a road that Waverly wasn’t sure they were supposed to be on.

“Uh, Nicole? Where the heck are we? Is this even a road?”

As she spoke the road narrowed into a driveway of sorts. A split rail fence lined both sides, seemingly holding back the encroaching pines that towered over them. 

“We’re here.” Nicole announced. 

As if on queue, the pines opened to reveal the most magical place that Waverly had ever seen. It was like something out of a fairytale. The lodge that sat before her was made of weathered stone and dark wood beams. Large windows lined the front and the covered porch wrapped around the side of the large retreat. The split rail fence nearer the house was tastefully strung with garland and twinkling white lights, red bows attached to the vertical posts. Even though it was late afternoon and there was still sunlight in the sky, Waverly could tell that it would be enchanting as the sun set. The lodge was decorated in the same style, with garland, lights, and red bows. There was a brightly lit Christmas tree near the main entrance, and branches of a birch tree were propped behind it. An old fashioned toboggan leaned to the left of the door, with a large sign in a scrolling script that read “Welcome to Clear Lake Lodge & Retreat.”

Nicole parked the truck and grabbed the two overnight bags and slung the garment bag onto her shoulder. Waverly was slowly spinning in a circle, taking in the beauty before her. 

“So you like it?” Nicole said as Waverly stopped her spin in front of the redhead. 

“Like it? Nicole, I have died and gone to heaven. This place is gorgeous!”

They walked up the steps to the porch where an oversized wreath adorned the door. The woman at the front desk was chipper as Nicole made the final arrangements of their stay. Waverly wandered around the foyer into the grand room. There were plush leather couches around a river rock fireplace that stretched all the way to the cathedral ceiling. Floor to ceiling windows in the back of the lodge offered Waverly a one hundred eighty degree view of the lake. 

“Ready to see the room?” Nicole had walked up behind her, but Waverly was too much in a trance to hear her footsteps. 

“Lead the way, darling.” 

Nicole led her up to the third floor that only seemed to contain two rooms. Nicole popped the keycard into the reader. Waverly could barely contain her excitement. 

There was no way this place could get any better. There was a small fireplace that was the centerpiece of the suite. Waverly could not wait to light it this evening. Another magnificent view of the lake could be seen from their private balcony. Waverly truly felt the magic of the holiday season in this place. Her loss had overshadowed the fact that it was almost Thanksgiving, and Christmas was right around the corner. 

Waverly turned to find Nicole behind her. 

“Nicole, I…” Waverly didn’t have the words to say, or, she did, but she was afraid of what they might lead to. Instead of words, Waverly emitted tears. “I don’t know what to say…”

In one step, Nicole was to Waverly and her arms were encompassing the brunette. “You deserve a get away. My only regret is that we only get this place for one night.”

Nicole had a devious smile plastered across her lips, which Waverly returned. The redhead wiped the tears away as she guided her to the bed, and laid her down, crawling onto the large mattress beside her. The two women spooned like that for an hour as the sun dipped below the horizon, placing tender kisses as they explored exposed skin. 

Neither wanted to move when the exhaustion finally hit. Nicole pulled her cell phone from her back pocket. She set a quick alarm so they didn’t miss dinner and they both fell asleep, fully clothed, limbs tangled together. 

When the alarm went off at 5PM, Waverly awoke refreshed. 

“Ready for the next surprise?” Nicole asked from behind Waverly. They were still cuddling and too comfortable to move. Waverly was slightly disappointed, already missing the warmth of her girlfriend, as Nicole peeled herself off the bed, retrieving the garment bag that she had draped over a large La-Z Boy recliner. 

Waverly pulled the zipper down to reveal a shimmering champagne dress with intricate gold beading. It was sleeveless, with a high neck that wrapped around to a button clasp. 

So far, this day had far exceeded her expectations and she knew without a doubt that it was only getting better. She would show Nicole her appreciation somehow…  
Nicole gave her a kiss before Waverly rushed to the bathroom, dress in hand. When she emerged, Nicole was cross legged on the bed, and when she looked up, Waverly could actually see the breath taken out of her. 

The dress was form fitting through the hips, then flared in gentle waves of satin and tulle. The golden beading was in a sunburst pattern, centralized at the torso, radiating out to the edges of the dress. Waverly spun, showing off the backless silhouette. 

“This dress! I never want to take it off!” Waverly exclaimed as she ran her hands up and down her hips. 

“I’ll certainly do the honors then.” Nicole wiggled her eyebrows. 

“It’s gorgeous...it actually reminds me of Art Deco and the roaring 20’s.”

“Huh, you don’t say.” Nicole had a smirk on her face. She pulled a small velvet box from her jacket pocket, and snapped open the clam lid.   
Waverly’s pulse quickened, and she held a hand to her mouth as she contemplated what it meant. 

The redhead raised an eyebrow at the unusual response. 

Recognition dawned on Waverly as she spied two princess cut diamond stud earrings, relief flowing through her. “These are beautiful. You should not have gotten me…”

“Nonsense.” Nicole cut her off. “You deserve them. They compliment your dress perfectly and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

While Nicole was getting dressed, Waverly took the time to knot her long locks into a low side bun, securing it with no less than 100 hair pins. She swiped mascara across her lashes and gloss on her lips. With a quick glance in the mirror, she deemed herself ready. She didn’t feel the need to go overboard. She was never one to use a lot of makeup, and tonight was no different. Besides, she wanted to let the dress shine.

Nicole stood behind Waverly in the mirror, her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. She had chosen an emerald green jumpsuit. The wide legs made it almost look like a dress, but it suited Nicole’s long, lean figure. The plunging neckline exposed a sultry amount of cleavage that Waverly wasn’t used to seeing. Nicole’s normal attire was not as...revealing. 

Waverly was taken with her girlfriend as they admired themselves in the mirror. She couldn’t believe the woman would do all of this for her. It was more than she thought she deserved. Waverly was completely head over heels in this moment, her heart swelling with emotions not yet spoken aloud. 

They walked down the staircase that led back to the great room hand in hand. There was a young man at the front desk now, and he smiled at the women. 

“Good evening, ladies. You both look radiant. Dinner will begin soon. Remember to follow the clues,” he said with a wink. 

When he was out of earshot, Waverly leaned over, whispering to Nicole. “What the heck was he talking about?”

Nicole didn’t answer, instead opening a large door. The gilded placard on the wall beside it read “Library.” 

“Nicole what the heck…?” Her voice trailed off as they entered the softly lit room. “Are we eating in a library?”

“Nope.” The devious smile was back. 

“Follow the clues?” Waverly said softly to herself. “Follow the clues…” she said again with more conviction. 

Waverly searched around, finding herself at the desk in the middle of the room. There were many articles about a certain book scattered across the top. “We’re looking for a hidden room aren’t we?!” Waverly squealed. 

“Indeed we are,” Nicole said, clearly amused with her girlfriend’s excitement. 

Waverly was piecing it together. 20’s style dress, mysterious room, no sign of a restaurant anywhere. “It’s a speakeasy isn’t it!” 

“Yes! And I’m starving so we had better get down to business and find this door!” Nicole searched through the papers as well, finding the title of a book. 

“This must be the one we’re looking for.”

They split up and scoured the shelves. The books appeared to be in alphabetical order, and soon they found the one they were in search of.

“Would you like to do the honors, Waves?” 

Without hesitation Waverly reached out to pull the book. It lodged into place halfway off the shelf and from somewhere inside the wall, gears turned and slowly, the shelf, which was actually the door, pulled back to reveal a cozy restaurant. There was a long bar filled with bottles of all shapes and sizes. Lanterns lined the wall, casting a romantic glow over the space. The hostess was polite, seating the couple at a corner table, near the roaring fire overlooking a large window. Snow was still floating lazily from the sky, sparkling in the lights strung along the outdoor patio. 

“So?” 

Waverly turned her attention to Nicole. “I can’t even begin to thank you...for this...for everything. You know just what to do and you knew I needed this before I did.”

“I would go to the ends of the earth to make you feel better, Waves. I hope you know that.”

Their waiter brought over water and wine glasses, along with a chilled marble wine bucket, the neck of the bottle leaning against the rim. 

“I do.”

Waverly watched as the waiter uncorked the bottle, pouring a bubbling champagne into each woman’s glass. 

The women raised their glass in a toast to each other.

“To new beginnings.” Nicole started.

“I feel like we’ve known each other forever, when in reality it’s only been a couple months. Nicole I need to thank you. I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing. Since the day you came into my life I’ve been in debt to you.”

Nicole reached out to grab the brunette’s hand. 

“Waves,” she began softly. “You have nothing to feel indebted for. I am more thankful for you than you realize. You changed me for the better and you pushed me to be better, even though you didn’t realize it at the time. I…I…I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

Waverly smiled and squeezed her girlfriend’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere baby.”

She could see the tension deflate from the redhead’s shoulders and an audible sigh left her lips.

“Is that what you’ve been worried about? With the fire investigation and the stress of everything, you shouldn’t be worrying about me. I don’t even know what tomorrow will bring, but the one thing I’m sure of is that I want you by my side. Somehow, some way, I will figure this out. No, we’ll figure this out.”

Nicole flashed a brief smile and leaned over the table for a quick kiss. “You are a true blessing in my life.” 

Waverly brought Nicole’s hand up to her lips and kissed the delicate skin of her wrist.   
They spent the rest of dinner talking easily, people watching, uncorking a second bottle of champagne. 

“I have to confess.” Nicole said as they reached their room. “I have one more surprise, but we’ll want to change into warm clothes.”

“That is the exact opposite of what I want to do.” Waverly snaked her arms around her girlfriend’s waist. 

“I promise you’ll love it.”

“Somehow I’m not surprised that there's more in store for this evening.” She let out a light laugh, and it caught her off guard. It felt like the first real laugh in a long time. “This whole day has been full of wonder.”

They bundled up, and Waverly let down her bun so that she could pull the toque over her hair. Nicole led the way outside, where the temperature had dropped considerably.   
Waverly rubbed her hands together, and bounced up and down to keep warm. “It’s a beautiful night.” She said through chattering teeth. 

She heard the bells and a swooshing noise before anything else. Then she heard the jangle of harnesses. A sleigh drawn by two draft horses pulled up alongside the porch.  
Waverly’s jaw hit the floor. A man, who she swore looked just like Santa Claus was holding the reins steady as the two horses stomped their feet. The one on the left shook its head, causing the bells to ring into the night air.  
Waverly could feel more tears brimming. “This is too much...you’re too much!” She gave Nicole’s arm a light punch, though through all the layers of clothing, she didn’t think Nicole felt it.

“Knew you’d like it!”

They climbed into the bench seat behind Santa. There were already numerous blankets in the seat and they wrapped themselves tight as the driver spurred the horses on. Soon they were riding along the snowy trails. Kerosene lamps lit the terrain, casting shadows on the snow-laden boughs. 

The women huddled together as the scenery rushed by. The sleigh came around a bend and into a clearing. 

“This is Lake Clear. It’s what my great grandfather named the lodge after when he built it over a century ago.”

The moon was already high in the sky and it illuminated the landscape below with a gentle light, reflecting off the virgin snow. They held mittened hands under the blanket, shared a couple kisses, as Santa brought them to a stop. 

“On clear nights like this, folks like to just stop, enjoy the view, and listen.”

Waverly strained her ears. Besides the small noises coming from the horses, it was silent. 

“I don’t hear anything.”

Santa twisted around on his bench seat, smiling, and winked at women. 

“Exactly.”

An owl announced its presence somewhere across the small lake. Waverly leaned her head on Nicole’s shoulder.

“This has been the most perfect day yet. Every day with you gets more and more magical.” She whispered. 

Nicole kissed the top of her head in response. The pair remained cuddled up, watching their peaceful surroundings, listening to the quiet of the night. 

Santa busied himself checking the straps and the yokes of the harness before hopping back onto the front seat. 

“Ready to head back?” His baritone voice was soothing. 

Both women nodded, glancing back once more as Lake Clear disappeared behind a grove of pine trees. Soon they were whisked along another snow covered trail. The sleigh seemed to be gliding and at any moment, Waverly could imagine them flying into the night sky. The thought delighted her. She missed the excitement and the wonder that the holidays used to bring out in her. 

Within 20 minutes, they were back at the lodge, thanking Santa. Waverly pulled her hand away from the one horse she was petting and walked around to where Nicole was talking to the sleigh driver. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t catch you name, sir. I want to thank you properly for that wonderful ride!” Waverly beamed at him.

“Oh, folks just call me JC. Been so long since someone called me by my real name, I don’t hardly know it anymore.”

“Well then JC, thank you. We had a great time. I enjoyed every second of it! I could stare at that lake all night.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it ma’am. Now I better be putting these old beasts to bed. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”

With the tip of a hat he was off again with the horses, the bells becoming more and more distant.

“I’m not convinced that wasn’t actually Santa.”

“I was literally thinking that exact same thing!” Nicole said, leading the way up the stairs to their room. 

As soon as Waverly closed the door, she turned the deadbolt. With a devious smile plastered on her face, she crossed the room, closing the distance between her and the redhead. 

“Now I need to thank you for all of the surprises you’ve been bestowing upon me and give you a little surprise of your own.” 

They peeled off each layer of clothing until there was nothing left between them, not even air. 

Waverly lost herself in the hills and valleys of Nicole’s porcelain body. She kissed every scar, every bump, and every birthmark, leaving nothing untouched by her lips or her hands.   
The bright moonlight shone through the window as they made love well into the night. They left each other spent and fulfilled as they fell into a deep sleep, cocooned in the blankets.

Wynonna

She had told Waverly it was too dangerous to head into the woods in search of Willa, but here Wynonna was plodding through the mud, deep in the woods, heading for the treehouse. She was going to be seriously pissed off if she ruined her good pair of black boots. They were her favorite pair. 

The rickety structure looked almost abandoned, save for the new rope ladder attached to the side. Climbing carefully, Wynonna ascended. Inside she found a sleeping bag, a few meager possessions and a kerosene lamp. She might have thought it was a vagrant squatting if not for one item. A family photo with crude words and x’s carved heavily upon the paper above each person in the image except Willa. Wynonna briefly entertained setting the treehouse ablaze, but she was not as destructive as people made her out to be. Instead she scrawled a message of warning on a scrap piece of paper and tacked it to a board inside. Wynonna resolved to return if she had not heard from her sister in one day’s time.

Nicole 

Morning dawned and Nicole knew they needed to get up and get moving. They were volunteering at the local food bank to help serve lunch to families in need. It seemed to take on new significance for her girlfriend in light of all that she had lost. Nicole continued to be in awe of Waverly’s strength and resilience in the face of the trauma she had endured.

Once finished at the food bank, the two would be preparing a Thanksgiving meal for six. The couple had invited Michele and her boyfriend Champ. Nicole was eager to finally meet the young man and spend some time with Michele outside of the boss/employee dynamic. They also invited Mercedes, the mayor. Wynonna would have someone at the table who could match her snark and wit, which they thought could provide some ample entertainment.

Nicole rolled over to spoon Waverly, placing a few kisses on her neck before whispering in her ear it was time to get up. She was surprised by how quickly the woman turned into her arms and kissed her on the mouth. She had not been asleep after all. Just as fast as she had moved, she shifted again, bouncing out of bed.

“Let’s take a quick shower and get out of here.” Waverly stated.

Nicole complied with vigor, it would be their first shower together and mischief was on her mind. She had scoped out the shower last night and it was big enough to fit ten people, and she was going to use all that room to her advantage...

Whatever Nicole thought was going to happen as they stepped into the stream of hot water was short lived. Waverly was a woman on a mission and would not be distracted by hanky panky. 

“Nicole, we don’t have time!” Waverly protested as the redhead attempted to seduce her. 

“There’s always time for loving.” Nicole quipped as she caressed the brunette’s breasts. 

“Stop, I’m serious.” She said swatting Nicole’s hand away playfully.

In the end, they washed each other without fanfare, lust still lurking in Nicole’s core. She was going to need a cold shower now.

As Nicole was loading the overnight bags into her truck, her phone vibrated in her pocket. 

She answered. 

It was Agent Dolls. 

He corroborated Nedley’s information regarding Willa’s time in a long term mental institution, Waverly being named in Shorty’s will, and the depth of Wynonna’s financial troubles. He also dropped a bombshell. He had matched the fingerprint found at each arson site and proceeded to reveal their identity.


	9. Embers and Ash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING  
> There are mentions of sexual and physical abuse in this chapter as it relates to the EARPS’ past and how it has effected the people they are today. The descriptions are not graphic in nature, but we understand it may be unpleasant for some readers. I have denoted the section for those that which to skip it.  
> It begins Waverly(TW)  
> and end within that section with  
> (END TW), though there are mentions of their childhood beyond that, there are no details associated with the references.  
> I hope this helps all readers to enjoy our story.

Thanksgiving 

Nicole didn’t want to ruin Thanksgiving for Waverly and Wynonna, but she was off to an awful start.

The drive home had been quiet, both women lost in their own thoughts. Waverly had asked Nicole what the phone call was about and she skirted the subject and promised to tell her after dinner. Waverly had bristled at the answer and Nicole could feel the tension suffocating them in the cab of her truck. Nicole parked the vehicle in front of her cottage at the inn and Waverly jumped out of the vehicle, slamming the door and walking away in a huff. At this rate it was going to be a long day.

They took a few minutes to bring their bags in before departing for the soup kitchen.  
Once in the vehicle again, Nicole chanced a glance at her girlfriend. 

“Waves, are you mad at me?”

Waverly kept staring ahead and did not respond at first. Nicole was at a loss as to what to do. 

“I’m not mad Nicole, just hurt that you’re keeping something from me.”

“Do you trust me?” Nicole asked, a bit afraid of what the answer might be.

“With my life, you know that.” Waverly responded harshly.

“Then I’m asking you to trust me on this. I just want us to enjoy the day with you and our friends. I will tell you everything tonight, promise.”

“It’s about the investigation isn’t it?” Waverly questioned.

“It is.”

Waverly let her emotions percolate before responding.

“Then I trust you to know the right time to talk to us. I’m sorry for being ornery, I guess I’m more stressed than I realized.” Waverly confessed.

Nicole reached out and interlaced her fingers with her girlfriend’s and pulled her hand up to her lips and placed a gentle kiss on top. 

“It’s going to be okay.” Nicole reassured.

Waverly did not understand just how much she needed to hear those words. Nicole had been nothing but supportive and loving. Sometimes she took her relationship with Nicole for granted because she felt like they had known each other forever. These past three months had been heartache and joy intermingled together and Nicole had been with her every step of the way.

“I love you Nicole Haught.” Waverly declared. Truer words had never left her lips and she squeezed Nicole’s hand in an attempt to convey just how much she felt for her.

Nicole was briefly taken aback by Waverly’s admission. She had felt love brewing in her heart early on, but did not wish to scare the woman being that they hadn’t really dated that long, but she knew that Waverly Earp was the last woman she ever wanted to kiss. There would be no other.

Nicole had just pulled into the parking lot of the soup kitchen and turned to meet Waverly’s eyes. 

“I will be by your side as long as you’ll have me. You are my missing puzzle piece, I love you with my whole heart.” Nicole finished by leaning in to capture Waverly’s lips in a passionate kiss. 

A tear trickled from Waverly’s eye.

“I love you so much it scares me Nicole.” Waverly responded before kissing her girlfriend again.

“I honestly don’t know what I would do without you Waves. Love is scary, but so worth the beauty that blossoms from the fear of being vulnerable and your authentic self with another person.” Nicole spoke as her fingers traced Waverly’s beautiful face and wiped her tears away. Her own eyes glistened in response to the tender and raw moment they were sharing.

The two women traded a few more kisses as they composed themselves before entering the building.

So lost in the moment with each other they failed to see the vehicle that had followed them from the inn and parked a few spaces away.

Waverly

It wasn’t for everyone, serving at the soup kitchen, so it meant the world to her that Nicole was by her side, globbing mashed potatoes onto waiting plates. They chatted with each other, and with the people they were serving. Waverly always found it incredibly humbling to serve others. She now truly understood what it meant to lose everything, so she was fully able to understand the people who came to get a hot meal on Thanksgiving. If it wasn’t for Nicole, she wouldn’t have a roof over her head or clothes on her back. She believed with all her heart that it’s the generosity of others that keeps people together and she didn’t want to forget that. 

Besides the couple years she was away at university, this was a yearly tradition she had started when she was barely old enough to see over the counter. Gus would take her. She admired the older woman, talking to strangers as though they were friends, then they’d dote on Waverly like they weren’t starving or lonely. She liked the way that Gus remembered their names and their stories, so she learned them too. Now, many years later, she saw the same people come back year after year, many homeless. Sometimes, people she served came back the next year to volunteer, and she was always ecstatic to see their station change. 

Waverly watched Nicole from the corner of her eye, and she caught Nicole looking too. The women smiled and simultaneous butterflies erupted. A commotion by the entrance caused both Waverly and Nicole to direct their attention elsewhere. It was a man in his late 40’s, Waverly saw, although he looked to be about 70. His beard was unkempt and wild around his face, gray patches dotted his cheeks. Waverly wasn’t sure she’d see him this year. The last time she had served him he was in a bad way. 

Waverly knew what to do and went to move around the food line when Nicole grabbed her arm.

“Please stay here. He might be dangerous.”  
Although she was happy at the thought of her girlfriend protecting her, she knew the man was no threat to her. 

She directed a pointed look up at Nicole. 

“Do you trust me?” She threw the question back at the redhead.

Nicole sighed and let her hand fall, nodding.  
Waverly went around the food line and as she neared the grizzly man, he seemed to sense her presence through the crowd and he calmed. 

As she walked toward him, she noticed that a little boy was crying, the homeless man was upset, and the mother of the boy was trying to calm them both down. 

“Bobo.” Waverly said his name. 

The weathered man turned and his face lit up. His fur coat was losing patches of hair, the sweater underneath had more holes than she could count. But it didn’t matter. She closed the few feet and embraced him. She felt his arms fold around her. 

“My angel.” He said into her hair. He pulled away and held her at arm’s length. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

In response, Bobo let out a large belly laugh that scared the little boy that had almost stopped crying. Waverly turned and knelt so that she was eye level with the toddler. He couldn’t have been older than five. His mother looked exasperated with her son’s cries, about to cry herself. Waverly wiped the tears from the boy’s cheeks. 

“This is my very good friend. His name is Bobo and I’ve known him for a long time. He’s kinda scary looking, I know.”

The small boy nodded. 

“I pinky-promise that he isn’t scary. And I think that you deserve an extra piece of pie for being so brave today.”

Waverly found it endearing that the young boy immediately stopped sniffling and grinned ear to ear. She stood up, smiling at the boy’s mother, who looked infinitely grateful. 

Turning back to Bobo, she placed a hand on his arm. “I’m so glad to see you, Bobo. You have no idea. I’d love for you to meet a really important person in my life, maybe we can sit and catch up while you eat.” 

She may only see him once a year, twice if she volunteered on Christmas Day, but seeing him was like seeing an old friend. She met him the first time Gus brought her to the soup kitchen. Her seven year old reaction was much like the little boy’s a few minutes ago. Gus assured her that he was an old friend, and that soon he'd be her friend too. He started calling her his angel, and Waverly took to him the way children do when they become attached to an adult. She watched for him every year, through ups and downs, and he would want to know all her hopes and dreams, and how she was doing in school. As she became older, she began to realize he thought of her as the daughter he never had. He cheered when she told him about her victories and consoled her when she failed. When Gus died, they both grieved. 

Waverly was grateful as she placed a heaping pile of turkey and trimmings in front of her old friend. Nicole was kind and listened to their stories and laughed at Bobo’s impression of young Waverly the first time she met him at the soup kitchen. Nicole regaled him with her own stories, telling him all the pranks they pulled over the years at her old firehouse.  
Waverly scanned the large room full of people eating, laughing, chatting and thought to herself how wonderful it was to be here. She caught the eye of the little boy, two plates of apple pie in front of him. He grinned at her, crumbs on his chin, and she winked back. 

Thanksgiving 

Nicole and Waverly walked hand in hand out to the truck. Nicole had to admit volunteering at the soup kitchen humbled her and made her admire her girlfriend even more. Outside of events through the fire department she had never spent much time in service to the community. She felt a little guilty about that now, realizing how great the need was for programs such as the soup kitchen. She vowed right then and there to make more time for volunteering. She planned on asking the mayor, Mercedes, what programs needed the most help at dinner tonight.

Nicole gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the check as she helped her into the truck. God, how this woman stirred her heart she thought on the short drive home.

Once back at the inn, preparations began in earnest. It was half past one and although the deserts and a few side dishes had been made yesterday, nothing else was ready.

Since it was a quaint gathering, the ham was small and would not take long to heat. Waverly put on an apron and busied herself with the tofurkey she was making while Nicole peeled some yams.

Soft music played in the background as the two women carried out their domestic activities, both content in each other’s company. Nicole so wanted this evening to be special, because she knew the information she had received from Agent Dolls would alter Waverly’s world forever.

Waverly washed up, her task complete and went downstairs to bring up some special plates for the occasion. Nicole continued to cook her yams and prepare her candied coating. She heard Waverly set the dishes down and start some dishwater.

“Hey can you grab me the mini marshmallows?” Nicole asked.

Waverly didn’t respond with words, but grabbed a bag out of the pantry.

Nicole felt something soft bounce off her cheek. Turning, a marshmallow hit her in the eye. 

“That’s not how you catch them.” Waverly teased.

Nicole was ready this time and snatched the flying marshmallow in flight.

Waverly then rapid fired a handful of the fluffy confectionery at her girlfriend. 

“Quit wasting my marshmallows!” Nicole said as she wrestled the bag from Waverly’s hand and pinned her against the counter. 

“Well to be fair, I thought you would be better with your mouth.” Waverly quipped. 

“Are you questioning my talents Waverly Earp?” Nicole whispered into her girlfriend’s ear as she ghosted her lips against her lobe, before she playfully took it between her teeth.

Waverly shuddered at the action and pulled Nicole closer, entangling her hand in the red locks and kissing her lips hard. She pulsed her hips into Nicole, desire ebbing throughout her body. 

“We don’t have time Waverly, our guests will be here soon.” The redhead protested weakly.  
Waverly responded by cupping her hands around Nicole’s ass as continued to gyrate into her. 

“We are not alone.” Nicole moaned referring to the occupants of the inn.

Waverly slid one hand along her girlfriend’s hips and grazed her stomach before dipping it below her waistline, towards her core. 

“The food’s not ready.” Nicole nearly panted.

Waverly removed her remaining hand from Nicole’s ass and reached behind her to shut off the burner. 

“I’m hungry Nicole, for you. Now!” Waverly said breathlessly as her fingers began a circular motion against the redhead’s clit. 

“Fine, but we must be quick.” Nicole relented as she led Waverly to the suite.

Tumbling through the door they wasted no time undressing one another. Waverly pushed Nicole against the wall, but Nicole turned the tables quickly, flipping positions and dropping to her knees, diving into Waverly’s warmth.

“Waaa..What are you doing? I said I was hungry.” Waverly eeked out.

“Too bad, you questioned my talents and I intend to defend myself.” Nicole joked, before she got back to business.

She stroked her tongue through Waverly’s tantalizing folds, savoring the taste of her lover and gently sucking them into her mouth.  
Waverly moaned and began to rock into Nicole. The brunette flicked her tongue against the engorged clit in rapid motion. Waverly rocked harder into the redhead, placing both of her hands on the back of her head, pressing her against her core.

Nicole hummed as she ate her girlfriend out, delighted that Waverly was responding with a bit of force. It turned her on even more.

Waverly, lost in the pleasure, began gliding harder up and down against Nicole’s talented tongue. She knew she was close and so did her girlfriend. Alternating between sucking and licking she put both hands against Waverly’s ass pushing harder into her to let the woman know it was okay to get a little rough.

Waverly responded in kind and pinned Nicole’s head against her heat and began to ride her face hard. It didn’t take long for her to tumble into ecstasy and allow Nicole to come up for air. 

“That was hot.” Nicole cooed as she used her tongue to clean her girlfriend up.

“Yeah it was, but also gross.” A voice boomed from the other room.

Wynonna stood in a towel, having just emerged from the bathroom.

Nicole looked mortified and Waverly just seemed annoyed. 

“Maybe next time check that the room is empty before you decide to defile my sister, Red.” Wynonna barked before slamming the bedroom door leaving the two women in awkward silence.

“I guess we better--” 

“Nope, no, nu-uh. She’s not ruining this. I’m not done yet.” Waverly had a devious smile on her lips as she pushed Nicole onto her back. 

“We probably don’t have time. Our guests…”  
Nicole’s voice trailed off as Waverly’s mouth began to work it’s magic. By Waverly’s calculations, they still had a solid five minutes and her sister in the other room was not going to deter her from what she really wanted. 

Waverly bit the inside of Nicole’s thigh, near the delicate skin of her core. This caused Nicole to arch her back. She felt more impish than normal and she was enjoying making Nicole squirm. She licked once, lightly, then twice. Teasing. Taunting. 

“Please.” She heard her girlfriend whisper.  
Her tongue swirled Nicole’s clit. 

“Say it again.”

“Please.” Nicole said louder this time. 

“You sure? You weren’t sure a minute ago…” 

Waverly’s lips were barely touching her girlfriend’s folds, and she could tell even her breath was having an affect. 

“Fuck me.” Nicole demanded. 

“Good, I wanted dessert before dinner.”

Waverly inserted a finger into the wet core and licked as Nicole bucked against her face. She traced lines up and down her lips with her tongue, tasting the sweetness of her body. 

Nicole was close and as Waverly intensified her pulsing, Nicole released a loud moan as her body convulsed with pleasure. 

Nicole seemed to realize where she was and clapped her hand over her mouth, dissolving into laughter. 

“Your sister is literally right next door. I couldn’t be any more mortified.”

“I’m not.” Waverly said as she planted a kiss on Nicole’s lips. 

They dressed quickly and washed up. As Nicole was walking out the door, Waverly came up from behind and smacked her ass. 

“Hey!” Nicole giggled. 

“I love you.” Waverly said. 

Nicole turned to face her. “I love you.” 

They shared a passionate kiss before hearing a door close beside them. 

Wynonna released a loud sigh, crossing her arms over her chest.

The women had the decency to look abashed.

Wynonna shook her head and moved past her sister and Nicole to make her way down to the kitchen. 

“I guess I’ll go make dinner for the guests since you two are obviously preoccupied.” Wynonna said as she retreated down the stairs. 

“She’s going to completely ruin dinner if we don’t get down there?” Nicole guessed. 

“She can’t cook to save her life.”

“Oh God.” Nicole said, laughing. 

“We shouldn’t poison our guests on the first Thanksgiving together.”

They got back down to the kitchen as Wynonna was pouring herself a glass of wine.

“Heavy pour, Wy?” Waverly asked jokingly. 

“Well if you saw what I just saw, you’d need it too.” Wynonna removed herself from the kitchen with her very full glass of wine. They heard the door open and close and the only thing scarier than Wynonna cooking was Wynonna greeting guests. They decided that Nicole would finish the cooking while Waverly met their guests with cocktails and the large charcuterie board she removed from the oversized refrigerator. 

Nicole was a whiz in the kitchen, so dinner was ready within the hour, perfect timing for Waverly’s cocktail hour to come to a close. They regrouped in the formal dining room where Nicole was setting the platter of ham on the table. 

“The woman of the hour!” Mercedes cheered, raising her wine glass in a toast to Nicole.

“Please, I can’t take all of the credit. Waverly is the cohost of this feast.” Nicole had poured herself a glass of Merlot and raised it in another toast. “Now everyone, please, sit and help yourself.”

Nicole and Waverly sat at opposite ends of the table, Michelle and Champ were seated next to each other, with Wynonna and Mercedes on the other side. 

“I cannot wait to begin the spring book club, Nicole.” Mercedes announced during a lull in conversation. “She and I were discussing all the details before dinner and I think it is going to be such a success.”

“Who the heck has time to read books?” Wynonna snickered, then took a bite of ham, chewing unnecessarily loud. “Books are so old fashioned.” Wynonna said through her mouth full of food.

Mercedes set down her knife and fork and turned ever so slightly to Wynonna. She raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. “Such an old fashioned opinion you have, Wynonna. On the contrary, there are many ways one can enjoy a book. Books nourish the mind and expand your horizon. They take you places you could never dream to travel to.”

Wynonna sat speechless, mouth agape, which caused the other guests to laugh. 

“Cat got your tongue, Wy?” Waverly laughed, enjoying her sister’s discomfort. 

“Oh shut up.” Wynonna snapped as she spooned more apple compote onto her ham. 

“All I am trying to say is that the last time I read a book I was probably five years old and it was against my will. No offense to anyone who likes books, it’s just not my thing.”

“Then what is your thing, Wynonna?” Mercedes quipped.

“I like to listen to thrasher music while tattooing people.”

More than one person at the table rolled their eyes. “No, really. You have to have a hobby.” Mercedes asked again.

Wynonna shrugged. “I don’t know.” She mumbled. “I guess I enjoy welding. Sometimes I make stained glass statues from reclaimed scrap metal and glass.”

Nicole watched as a quiet fell over the room, the only sound was the soft classical piano coming through hidden speakers. Waverly’s eyes widened. 

Wynonna looked around the table. “What?  
Now you’re all looking at me like I have a sick growing out of my forehead!” 

This broke the ice and everyone laughed. 

“I think we’re all just a little taken aback. I bet your art is beautiful and I’d love to see it sometime.” Waverly said.

“I would too, I’m an art connoisseur and love to discover new artists. Mercedes cheerfully added.

Wynonna didn’t know how to respond and just nodded. Color rose to her cheeks.

Nicole took this opportunity to engage Champ, whom she’d had little interaction with.

“So Champ, Michele tells me you’re doing well in your recovery.”

“Yes Ma’am. I go back to work next week and am working real hard to get back to the boys at PCFD.” 

“I know a thing or two about injuries. I have a friend who specializes in conditioning post injury, if you’re interested I can hook you up with them.” 

“That would be awesome, Thanks Nicole.” Champ replied, smiling ear to ear. 

“You are too kind to us.” Michele chimed in, truly moved by her employer’s generosity. 

“Well, it’s the least I can do. Come see me tomorrow, I have an employment proposition for you.”

“I will Nicole.”

Waverly looked over the guests, her heart full at the success of the evening. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, Mercedes and her sister were deep in conversation, and Nicole was getting to know Champ. She took a moment to take a sip of her wine and take it all in.

Conversation thankfully drifted away from Wynonna to Michelle and Champ, who were deep in conversation with Nicole about firefighting and how he can step up in his career. Michelle beamed at her boyfriend, clearly proud of him. 

The sound of broken glass shattering onto the hardwood floor interrupted all conversation. 

Waverly was half way out of her seat and Michelle was looking around wildly for the source of the noise. They were all so shocked at the cacophony that it took them all a moment before they realized the sound came from the window behind Nicole’s chair. On queue, cold air rushed through. 

Michelle leapt from her seat to grab the broom and dustpan from the hidden closet in the hall. 

Nicole went into her work mode. Directing Waverly, she said, “Go into the kitchen and find the Saran Wrap, please? It’s in the drawer to the left of the sink.”

Waverly obeyed without hesitation. 

Mercedes was getting out of her seat to help before Nicole could stop her.

“You do not need to help. You are all guests tonight and I’m not sure how far the glass went. I wouldn’t want you to step in any.”

“This is awful, Nicole! Who would do this? First the arson, then this. I pride myself on the safety of PineCliff. I couldn’t stand for it if this town fell to criminals.”

Wynonna laughed. 

“Nothing about this situation is funny. This is not deadly like an arson, but it is still a threat to us.” Mercedes told Wynonna indignantly. 

“I’m sure your town is safe. I think it’s one criminal in particular that needs to be brought to justice and your problems will be solved.”

“I’m investigating the arson, Mercedes. I intend to make sure this person is convicted of their crimes.” 

Waverly looked at Nicole expectantly, although she knew she would not reveal her phone call until after the other guests had left.  
Michelle was busy running the broom around the floor, gathering up the large shards of glass. She pulled the broom under the table and something scraped against the hardwood floor that wasn’t the high pitch of glass. Nicole looked down to find the rock used to break through the glass. Around it was a rubber band holding a piece of white paper. She stooped down to swipe it up before anyone else could see, muttering to herself about evidence, just in case anyone was paying attention to her.

“You know what? I think we should move on to dessert. No reason to let this ruin our evening. Wynonna, how about you take our guests into the den while Waverly and I bring out the confectioneries.”

“I agree, Nicole.” Mercedes said, nodding. “No need to let good dessert go to waste. We’re all unharmed, the mess is clean. We are all enjoying our evening, so we’ll carry on.” 

Wynonna looked like she was about to protest, but when Nicole gave her a very direct look, she relented and ushered everyone out, telling them to watch their step lest there be more glass.

Nicole grabbed Waverly’s arm and directed her to the kitchen. When they were alone, Nicole made sure no one was eavesdropping (mostly Wynonna), and then she showed Waverly the rock, which she was certain her girlfriend had seen swept out from under the table. 

Like it was going to detonate in her hand, Waverly held the rock, gingerly taking the note off. She opened it and surprise dawned on both of their faces. Waverly would know that chicken scratch handwriting anywhere. It was Wynonna’s. But Wynonna was at the table, which confused Nicole. 

“I just wanted to catch you before we spoke with Wynonna. I had no idea. I thought this might have a message directed at you, that you’d want to read in private first, but…this...I don’t understand.”

“I do.” Waverly said with an icy tone. Her lips pursed “It means they’ve been in contact with each other. Let’s get the pies on the trays and the moscato and Riesling from the refrigerator. I don’t want to rush our guests out, but I need to get to the bottom of this.”

The atmosphere was tense in the den and Waverly worked her charm, easing the guests back into conversation. Despite her need for answers, she would still be an amicable host.

“I’m serious Wynonna, I want to see your art.”

“It’s not that big of a deal Mercedes.”

“Let me be the judge of that. I need to redecorate and would love to be your first sale.” 

“You haven’t even seen my shit.” Wynonna protested. 

“I’m sure it’s as wild and unpredictable as you, so I’m sure to love it.” The Mayor responded with a wink and a pat of her hand on Wynonna’s thigh.

This left the dark haired woman flustered.

Conversation ebbed and flowed in the room for a while as they complimented Waverly on the gorgeous and delicious pies.

Nicole, Mercedes, and Waverly had a productive conversation in regards to what the community could do to help the homeless and others down on their luck. Mercedes promised to take some of their suggestions to the next board meeting for action. Waverly beamed at the thought of affecting real change in PineCliff.

It was almost 10 before Mercedes bid adieu to her hosts, Michelle and Champ following suit soon after. 

“Everything was fantastic, Nicole. Thank you so much for inviting us. It was really nice.”  
Nicole could hear the sincerity in the younger woman’s voice as she hugged her. 

“Looking forward to that book club, Waverly! See you later!” Michelle called as the couple departed.

“We’d all better sit down for this.” Waverly heard Nicole say from behind her as she closed the front door. She had never been more ready to hear the truth and she was going to get down to the bottom of this once and for all. She didn’t want to sit down. She wanted to run to Willa and shake her and ask her what she did to deserve this.

Nicole

The conversation had flowed seamlessly throughout the evening. Nicole enjoyed getting to know Michelle on a more personal level and realized that it might be time to promote her to general manager of the Inn. She had proven herself more than capable of the task. Michele and Waverly had put the final arrangements in place for the first book club meeting next week and she had spearheaded the design and story for their first murder mystery event due to debut the second weekend in December. She would speak with her tomorrow about the opportunity.

Nicole had been thoroughly amused by the interactions between Wynonna and Mercedes. She had never seen the woman quite so flustered before.

Nicole was dreading what came next. All evening the two Earp women had been fishing for information about the investigation that she would not reveal in front of the others guests. She was not looking forward to their departure. One by one they streamed out until just Waverly and Wynonna remained.

Nicole had been rattled by the brick and didn’t quite know what to make of it in light of the information she had received earlier. She still had guests staying in the inn and thought it best this conversation take place in private, especially because of what would come next.  
They retreated to Nicole’s place for privacy. Nestled against her girlfriend in front of the roaring fire, Waverly looked up at Nicole with expectant eyes. 

“Spill it Red.” Wynonna barked.

Nicole shifted uncomfortably, clearly still not ready to face the music.

“Come on Nicole, I can handle whatever news you have, promise.” Waverly encouraged.

“Agent Dolls called me.” The redhead started.  
“He confirmed that Willa had been committed to an asylum, that you Waverly are the beneficiary on Shorty’s will.”

“So wait, are you saying Willa was hoping to kill Shorty?” Waverly uttered in disbelief.  
Nicole could barely look the brunette in the eye. 

“Turns out, he got a call from a friend needing a jump. He was supposed to be there.” Nicole said with a sigh. This next part was going to kill her.

“Dolls..he….Wynonna, why are you in bankruptcy?” Nicole asked. 

“Poor life decisions and Willa.”

“How Willa?” Waverly questioned, looking directly into the eyes of her nervous sister. 

“Baby girl, Willa’s not well, and for years I’ve fed and sheltered her because even I can keep a job longer than her. More recently she has started to demand more money, money I don’t have, and threatened to….to ruin things for you if I didn’t pay up.” Wynonna confessed as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. 

“Well, she succeeded in that, but why didn’t you ask for help.” 

“I thought I did, when I asked you about selling.” 

“Damnit Wynonna, if you told me why you needed the money, I might have done it!” Waverly snapped, her anger getting the better of her. 

Outside a police siren wailed in the distance, inside Nicole’s quaint home the sound of a cracking fire could be heard so she doubted either sister noticed. The arson investigator cleared her throat, reached for Waverly’s hand and continued. 

“Agent Dolls matched the fingerprint.”

“Great, are they on the way to arrest Willa now?” Wynonna asked, her eyes ablaze.

“No.” 

“Why not?” Waverly whispered, a pit in the depths of her stomach forming. 

“They’re not Willa’s prints.”

“Who the hell do they belong to then?” Wynonna bellowed as she got off the couch and began to pace.

This moment would change everything.

“They’re yours Wynonna.” Nicole revealed.

The color drained from both Wynonna and Waverly’s face as an eerie silence filled the room.

With a quickness Nicole did not predict, Wynonna fled the room as she shouted “I’m going to kill her!”

Without hesitation Nicole hopped off the couch in pursuit, Waverly trailing behind.

Wynonna was fast, she’d give her that, Nicole thought as the woman peeled out of the driveway. 

Waverly tried to get in Nicole’s truck. 

“What are you doing Waves?”

“Coming with you, obviously.” She uttered, still in a state of shock.

“You can’t.”

“Over my dead body will you leave without me.” Waverly responded with a cold hardness Nicole had never seen. She knew the woman was serious and relented.

The delay was enough to lose sight of Wynonna’s vehicle.

“Damn it, we’ve lost her!” Nicole cursed.

“I know where Wynonna’s going.”

Nicole gave her girlfriend a quizzical look. 

“Willa’s been staying at our childhood treehouse in the woods behind Gus’s.” Waverly whispered.

“What! Wait.. You knew where she was this whole time and didn’t think to tell me?”  
Waverly did not respond. 

“Unbelievable! I trusted you with information, put my job on the line to protect you..and..and you’ve been lying to me this whole time!” Nicole fumed.

“I’m sorry.” 

“You’re sorry? Not good enough Waves. You know about my past. I trusted you.”

“What does that mean Nicole?”

“It means after this is finished, I’m going to need some time. Trust has been broken.”

Waverly thought Nicole’s reaction was a little extra and didn’t understand what it meant. 

“Do you mean to break up with me over this? Because really Nicole we are en route to find my long lost sister who may be an arsonist and my...Wynonna may be involved. My whole world is crashing down upon me and you want to insert some relationship drama? Unbelievable!” Waverly barked.

“Don’t worry Waves, there’ll be no drama if there isn’t a relationship.” Nicole replied with anger and sadness, realizing this could be the end of them. Trust did not come easy for Nicole and she had no idea how to heal from this betrayal.

Waverly opened her mouth to speak, but they had arrived at the burned out remains of the farmhouse and her full attention was now focused on getting out of the truck and finding her sisters. 

Nicole sent Dolls an update to their location before running to catch up with Waverly.

Wynonna

Climbing with an agility she didn’t know she had, Wynonna made quick work of the ladder and entered the treehouse to find a startled Willa. 

“You came.” 

“Kind of hard to miss the invite you smashed through the window dipshit!” Wynonna hissed.

“I fucking gave you everything I had Willa, and let’s be honest it was more than you deserved. There is no coming back from this. Daddy’s not here to keep the law from you this time.”

Willa looked her sister up and down and slowly began to chuckle, which then turned into an unhinged maniacal cackle. 

“Silly Wynonna, it’s not my prints all over the evidence. I guess I should thank Daddy for something. Turns out you sleep like the dead when you’re liquored up. Just like him. It was child’s play really, nabbing the empty bottles you left strewn about.” Willa glared at her sister.

Without warning Wynonna hauled off and slapped Willa with a ferociousness that surprised the older sister and momentarily stunned her.

Waverly

As soon the truck was parked in front of the rubble that was left of the farmhouse, Waverly leapt from the truck, not even waiting to see if Nicole was following. Wynonna’s black car was already in the driveway, long abandoned. 

She ran into the woods towards the east, remembering the old treehouse she once played in as a child. Her feet pounded against the frozen snow and her chest was heaving as she bobbed through the thick underbrush. Behind her, she thought she heard Nicole’s footfalls, but she wouldn’t stop until she was with her sisters. 

In the distance, female voices could be heard.

Waverly’s heart felt as though it was going to burst when she was finally in sight of the treehouse, only a dim light illuminating the inside. She threw herself up the rickety ladder. The cold wood creaked under her weight. 

Above her, she could hear the heated argument. She launched herself over the edge, scrambling to her feet, entering the small treehouse. It couldn’t have been more than six feet in either direction, causing all three women to be in close quarters. Nicole came up the ladder moments later, tucking herself behind Waverly for moral support. 

Both Wynonna and Willa turned to meet the newcomers. Waverly couldn’t even speak at first. She didn’t know where to start. Here was Willa, in the flesh. 

Waverly (TW)

Although she was only about six years older, Willa looked like she had aged decades. All youthfulness was stripped from her. Her long brunette hair was dull and hung limp around her shoulders. There were deep set lines in her forehead, and it appeared as though the scowl on her face was a permanent fixture. She noticed a red mark in the shape of a handprint across one cheek. But still, she couldn’t help remembering her sister as she was, lively and adventurous, her brave protector. 

Willa, for her part, looked as dumbfounded as her younger sister. Knowing Willa was around and seeing her in person were two totally different animals. 

“Willa…” Waverly breathed. 

“Looks like you got two shit sisters, huh?” 

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not? Look what I’ve done to you.” 

Waverly could only shake her head, thinking of all the destruction this woman in front of her had caused. Somehow, being furious with Willa was easier when Willa was a figment of her imagination. She was now very, very real, and Waverly couldn’t help the flood of emotions that were currently coursing through her like white water rapids. 

“She has taken everything from us, Babygirl. Do not let her get in your head. This is what she does. She plays mind games with you and soon you're giving her everything you have and some things you don’t.”

“I just…” Waverly started quietly. This was not going at all how she had planned. Her heart was still beating furiously, but it was not from running anymore. Her breath came out in foggy puffs. 

“I just want to know why? A real answer...why? How could you strip everything away from me? From Wynonna even?” Waverly pleaded with Willa. 

Nicole shifted herself behind Waverly, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

Willa saw the gesture and looked disgusted.  
She nodded in the direction of the redhead. 

“That’s why. You answer me this baby sister, why were you the chosen one? Why were you the golden child? Why did everyone love you so much? Why do you get to find happiness?”

Waverly shook her head. Nicole moved to her side and grabbed her hand. It was the only support she could think to offer at the moment. Whatever troubles they were having, Nicole knew Waverly needed her. She could feel her girlfriend's hand trembling in hers. 

Wynonna interjected. “At some point you chose to be like this. Daddy has been gone for years and momma ran off with that beach bum ages ago and is living in whatever the fuck tropical paradise. Let this die, Willa. You can stop this.”

“I will not stop until you have as little as I do.” 

The treehouse creaked around them. The little kerosene light was barely enough to illuminate their faces, but Waverly could clearly see the contempt on Willa’s face. The old Willa was gone. The woman she was looking at couldn’t be her sister. 

Waverly inhaled deeply and the cold air cut into her lungs. She pushed down her emotions and as controlled as she could, she asked again. “Why?” 

The question came out more as a demand, to which Willa was happy to oblige.

“I have nothing left to lose. Don’t you see that little sister? I have taken Wynonna for all she was worth and then some.” She had the audacity to look proud of herself. Waverly realized Wynonna was right. They were dealing with a master manipulator. 

“God you were so young and naive...and stupid. Wynonna and I protected you from Daddy’s wrath for years. I think the beatings started when I was maybe six or seven. At first they didn’t seem so bad, but maybe he grew more brazen because the older Wynonna and I got, the worse the abuse got. Maybe it’s because at some point we knew to fight back. Eventually it morphed into something else. I was older. I was becoming a woman. Whatever it was, that one deputy he had that would come over occasionally, yeah, you know who I’m talking about. Wynonna knows. That deputy took a special interest in me.”

Waverly couldn’t speak because she knew what was coming next. The horror of what was coming next hit her like a freight train. She flashed to Wynonna hiding her in various places around the house and the barn. She only vaguely remember the deputy Willa was referring to, and now she understood why Wynonna went through great lengths to hide their youngest sibling. She held onto Nicole's hand tighter.

“By the look on your face I guess you know what he liked to do to me. He had an affinity for little girls. If Ward knew he would have castrated the man, then killed him slowly. His girls were only his to abuse, no one else’s. The night I set the barn on fire...I had had enough. I needed something to break this fucked up house we were in. My only regret is that I didn’t set the house on fire instead.”

“Willa…”

“Oh don’t feel sorry for me now. But you have that seriously fucked up childhood to blame for what’s happening to you now. You got out unscathed. You were untouched. You were innocent. You were stupid.” Willa spat. 

“I was five...six years old!” Waverly cried out.

(END TW)

“Don’t you dare make this about her!” Wynonna yelled, pointing her finger in her older sister’s face. “This has nothing to do with how goddamn perfect she is. This is you in your fucked up little world, thinking that bringing everyone down to your level is going to solve all of your problems. Well guess what? It hasn’t solved jack shit and you’ve completely destroyed our lives! Those were my fucking prints all over the bottles found at the crime scenes. You were going to let me take the fall for everything!”

“Yes, and with you out of the way, I could get to Waverly so much easier.”

“You will get to Waverly over my dead body.” Wynonna said with lethal intent. 

“Oh don’t tempt me…”

“Stop!” Waverly yelled. “Stop this right fucking now!”

The two sister’s were caught off guard by their sister’s outburst. None of the women, Nicole included, had ever heard Waverly raise her voice. 

“How dare you.” She began, narrowing her eyes at her eldest sister. 

“Oh don’t chide me like I’m still a child.”

“You are a psychopath! Waverly yelled.

That’s what you are! Yes, Willa! How dare you...how dare you punish both Wynonna and myself for our childhood. None of us were to blame for what happened when we were just young kids. How in your sick, twisted up fucking brain do you have to be to think that stripping us of everything is going to help you feel better? You are so twisted and backwards you have no idea which way is up anymore.”

“You have no idea. You will never understand. So when I tell you, truthfully, that oh yes, this gives me great satisfaction, believe me. I am very much enjoying seeing the pain I am causing you, sister. It almost equals the pain I still carry.”

Wynonna seethed with anger. “But it is not just Waverly or me you’re hurting. You caused my marriage to fail. You cause my husband--ex-husband-- so much grief that he felt the need to end our ten year marriage. You cost not only Waverly her livelihood, but the livelihood of all her employees. You could have caused the injury or the death of firefighters. You have put this poor woman over here into a tailspin over piecing together this mystery, putting a strain on our sister’s relationship. So no, Willa, it’s not just our two lives you’re ruining.”

“Collateral damage.” Was her only response with a noncommittal shrug. 

“You really have lost it, haven’t you? There is nothing we can say or do here that will change the outcome of this.” Waverly felt ice in her veins when she came to realize the danger they were in. It was only muted by the fact that it would be three against one. 

As if on queue, Waverly thought she heard police sirens in the distance. At first she wondered if she had imagined them, but then the other two sisters showed recognition of the sound. 

“You fucking bitch,” Willa hissed. “You brought the cops here?”

The problem with the treehouse, besides it being too small to navigate around people, was that there was one exit and one entrance, and Waverly and Nicole were directly beside it. 

Waverly could see the wild animal-like panic cross Willa’s eyes. For a moment, she looked like a caged animal looking for an escape. Her eyes darted everywhere. The other three women sensed her movement. Wynonna grabbed at her arm but the older woman evaded her somehow. 

Willa saw a chance and took it, attempting to dive out of the door. Nicole had stayed out of the sisters’ way, letting them hash it out, but she was not going to let this criminal escape out into the night. Nicole heaved her whole body at the woman, tackling her to the floor with a loud thud that reverberated through the whole treehouse. Waverly put out a hand to brace herself as the treehouse seemed to shift around her. 

“Don’t hurt her!” She screamed as the two women continued to struggle. Willa's lantern fell to the floor.

Wynonna was caught on the opposite side of the treehouse, trying to help the two wrestling on the ground. Willa had turned into a full wild beast, thrashing, biting, kicking, anything she could do to escape Nicole’s grasp. 

Wynonna caught her arms, trying to pin them down. 

Waverly was lost in the commotion, screaming to no avail. The treehouse shifted again, but this time the shift was accompanied by the sick sounds of snapping wood that made Waverly’s heart plummet into her stomach. In the corner where the lantern fell, a small fire formed.

“Stop! Please stop! We have to get out of here!” Her yells fell on deaf ears. Nicole and Wynonna were solely focused on subduing a thrashing Willa.

Waverly could see the time-rotted boards until they began to crack. Momentarily she thought about escaping down the ladder to relative safety, but she wouldn’t leave Nicole...or Wynonna. Instead, she would yell and scream, and pull at Nicole until they listened to her. 

In the end, the weight was too much. Years of neglect and insects, the sun and rain, the freezing and thawing, weakened the boards that had once held all three sisters. 

The four women fell headlong towards the ground, screams echoing in the night as they bounced off tree limbs, landing with a sickening thud. Debris rained down upon them.

The moonlit night cast ominous shadows over the scene. The ground was littered with the remnants of the treehouse, some aglow with flames, white snow painted red with blood flowing like a river, and four bodies no longer moving.


End file.
